The ancient rabbis used to say that God created humanity because he liked stories.  One proof of God’s love of stories is that God chose to reveal himself to us through the stories of the Bible. And Jesus’ favorite teaching method was storytelling.  And throughout the Bible, we are told to remember important stories because the stories not only teach us who God is, but the stories also remind us of God’s faithfulness even in the most difficult times.  This week’s movie is “The Two Towers,” the second movie in the wonderful Lord of the Rings trilogy.  The Lord of the Ring movies and novels remind us of the power of story to shape us and to give us strength and hope even when we are ready to give up-a very Biblical concept as our scripture this week reminds us:
 

• What are the stories that have shaped your life?
• If you could only share one story about your life with your children, what would it be?
• If you could only share one story from the Bible what would it be?
• If you could only share one story about Jesus to someone who does not believe what would it be? And why?
• In the midst of struggles and temptations, what Biblical stories do you find strengthen you?
• When you are trying to discern how to live your life, how to behave and how to face temptation, what stories do you recall?
• I love the way Eugene Petterson translates verse 3 in The Message: “When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!”
• In what ways does remembering the story of Jesus “shoot adrenaline into your soul”?

This week we continue hearing the stories of those who both witnessed and testified to resurrection as we hear the story of the raising of Tabitha and the experience of the widows of Joppa. This is the first of our witnesses that did not have a first-hand experience of the Risen Christ and yet still witnessed the power of resurrection faith.

36Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. 37At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. 38Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, “Please come to us without delay.” 39So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. 40Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. 41He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. 42This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner.

• Luke has carefully chosen how he tells this story so that we will remember some other important stories in the Bible. Read 1 Kings 17:17-24, 2 Kings 4:32-37 and Mark 5:35-43. Why do you think Luke wants us to remember those stories?
• Tabitha is described as a disciple using the feminine form of the Greek word. She is the only woman described using that word in the whole New Testament. What do you think set Tabitha apart from other female followers of Jesus?
• Obviously, Tabitha’s life had a major impact on the lives of the widows and saints? Have you ever had a Tabitha in your life?

Join us on Sunday as we explore the difference resurrection faith made in the lives of the widows and saints of Joppa!

As we enter our first full week of Lent, we continue to explore our vision statement.  This week we will focus on what it means to worship.  Our scripture comes from Paul’s letter to the Colossians:

¹²As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. ¹³Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:12-17

Growing up, I was always encouraged to wear my “Sunday Best” to go to church.  Most of us seldom worry about dressing up for worship any more.  However, this passage suggests that perhaps our “Sunday Best” has nothing to do with what kind of clothes we wear to church but rather the attitudes we wear.

·         How should we prepare for worship?

·         What attitudes should we “put on” for worship?

·         What is the purpose of worship?

·         Think about the worship services that most touched you.

o   What attitudes did you bring with you into that service? 

o   What moved you? 

o   Did anything in your life change because of your experience?

·         What do you need to “put on” to make yourself more open to the work of God in worship?

·         We call the order of our worship, the liturgy. Liturgy means “The work of the people.”  What kind of “work” does the congregation do in worship? 

Hope to see all of you Sunday as we work together to worship the living Lord!

6:30 P.M.  Wednesday Feb. 17

Come and join us as we begin preparing our hearts and lives to celebrate Easter as we come together to reflect on our need for salvation.  The Water’s Edge Praise team will lead our music.  This service will be a wonderful mix of old and new as we receive the traditional mark of ashes to remind us of our need for repentance and our common humanity through the use of the Blues!  Be sure and join us as we prepare our hearts for the season to come!

“Words and music did for me what solid, even rigorous, religious argument could never do — they introduced me to God, not belief in God, more an experiential sense of GOD. Over art, literature, girls, my mates, the way in to my spirit was a combination of words and music. As a result, the Book of Psalms always felt open to me and led me to the poetry of Ecclesiastes, the Song of Solomon, the book of John…My religion could not be fiction, but it had to transcend facts. It could be mystical, but not mythical. ” Bono

The music is contemporary and the practice is ancient. Come join us!

The 9 a.m. service and Sunday school have been cancelled this morning due to the snow.  The 11:15 service will still be held.

6:30 P.M.  Wednesday Feb. 17

Come and join us as we begin preparing our hearts and lives to celebrate Easter as we come together to reflect on our need for salvation.  The Water’s Edge Praise team will lead our music.  This service will be a wonderful mix of old and new as we receive the traditional mark of ashes to remind us of our need for repentance and our common humanity through the use of the Blues!  Be sure and join us as we prepare our hearts for the season to come!

“Words and music did for me what solid, even rigorous, religious argument could never do — they introduced me to God, not belief in God, more an experiential sense of GOD. Over art, literature, girls, my mates, the way in to my spirit was a combination of words and music. As a result, the Book of Psalms always felt open to me and led me to the poetry of Ecclesiastes, the Song of Solomon, the book of John…My religion could not be fiction, but it had to transcend facts. It could be mystical, but not mythical. ” Bono

This week, we will continue our exploration of our Vision Statement as we discuss what it means to empower one another for ministry.  Our Scripture comes from Paul’s letter to the Romans:

For I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. Romans 1:11-12 (NRSV)

·         Can you think a time when someone strengthened you?

o   Can you identify a particular spiritual gift that was used to strengthen you?

o   What would have happened if that person had not exercised their gift?

·         When have you been called to use one of your spiritual gifts to strengthen someone?

o   What did gift did you use?

o   Did you see the results of sharing your gift?

o   How did that person respond?

·         What would a church full of people sharing their gifts to encourage and strengthen one another look like?

o   How might it look different than our congregation today?

o   How might it look similar?

Look forward to seeing you on Sunday!

The Leadership Training scheduled for January 30th has been rescheduled. Please mark your calendar for Saturday, Feb. 13th from 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Sunday, January 24^th at New Life

Next Sunday, I would like to invite all ages to join us during the Sunday School hour for a time of fellowship, prayer and service. 

I am asking each family to bring a simple breakfast item (donuts, juice, fruit) as well as items for health kits for Haiti (see below for the items we need).  We will eat together, pray for the people of Haiti, and we will assemble as many health kits as we can.

I will need a few helpers to set up and take down tables. And a few to set up the table for the food and clean up afterwards. If you can help, please let me know.

I hope you will join us next week!

Pastor Sherill

Health Kit

Value: $12 per kit

KIT CONTENTS

1 gallon ziploc plastic bags

1 hand towel (15” x 25” up to 17” x 27”, no kitchen towels)

1 washcloth

1 comb (large and sturdy, not pocket-sized)

1 nail file or fingernail clippers (no emery boards or toenail clippers)

1 bath-size bar of soap (3 oz. and up)

1 toothbrush (single brushes only in original wrapper, no child-size brushes)

6 adhesive plastic strip sterile bandages

 (NOTE: UMCOR Sager Brown is now purchasing toothpaste in bulk to be added to health kits before shipping to ensure that the product does not expire before it is sent. Please include $1 for each kit you send toward the purchase of toothpaste.)