Love working together with others to refine thoughts! Yesterday, I asked for help in refining my thoughts on the theme for Advent/Christmas 2013 at Community of Joy. I have so many wonderful ideas shared with me that I finally settled on a combination of several of the ideas. Looking forward to this new series and especially with tag teaming with Rob Rappold on the series. Rob has been speaking in my absence at Community of Joy as a way of discerning a call to ministry he feels. We have been meeting together regularly for discipling and discernment.
In one of those recent meetings, Rob thought it might be cool to have me prescribe the theme and passage for a sermon. So, on Sunday and Monday when this thing unfolded as it did... Sunday a new idea given and a decision to scrap my thoughts altogether and Monday when I put out the plea for help in refining the series title. Here is what the series looks like as it stands...
Love: How WORD Transforms WORLD!
Dec 1 Origin - John 1: 1-18 and John 3: 1-21
Dec. 8 Model - John 15:1-17
Dec. 15 Stretch - Luke 6:27-36
Dec 22 Mark - John 13 and 14
Dec 29 Lifestyle - I John 4:7-21
It is so much fun to collaborate on things!
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Monday, November 25, 2013
When the WORD Comes to the WORLD....
Yesterday, Priscilla Timken shared a Holy Spirit nudge with us at the 9 a.m. worship gathering. She said that as she was riding her bike to worship, she was given two words... WORD and WORLD... with each pedal, the two words came into her mind... WORD and WORLD. As she continued to pedal and to ponder the meaning of these two words, she said it dawned on her that the only difference in the two words is the letter "L".
The difference the WORD came into the WORLD to make is to LOVE us! And to love others through us!
The gospel writer John says, "So, the WORD became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only son!" John 1:14
Gonna scrap what I had planned for a Christmas theme and work with this one... something about it captures my imagination!
Need your help in settling in on a title for this series... Here are some thoughts that are running in my head...
When the WORD Comes to the WORLD...
Opening the Doors to the World... (playing off the image of the door in the song With Every Act of Love)
"L" Makes ALL the Difference in the World!
The Power of "L"
Comment here and give me your suggestion!
The difference the WORD came into the WORLD to make is to LOVE us! And to love others through us!
The gospel writer John says, "So, the WORD became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only son!" John 1:14
Gonna scrap what I had planned for a Christmas theme and work with this one... something about it captures my imagination!
Need your help in settling in on a title for this series... Here are some thoughts that are running in my head...
When the WORD Comes to the WORLD...
Opening the Doors to the World... (playing off the image of the door in the song With Every Act of Love)
"L" Makes ALL the Difference in the World!
The Power of "L"
Comment here and give me your suggestion!
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Community Engagement!
Was/is exciting to see the community in all its fullness coming together to bring the resources of God together with human need. Today we gathered at the Safe Streets gathering here in Salisbury at St. Paul's AME Church. The church in our community is coming together and partnering with the police force, the state's attorney's office, and other agencies in the community to accompany and engage so young men/ women in our community who are first time offenders as an alternative to jail time. It is exciting to see our community leaders working at a redemptive model rather than a punitive model and it is even more exciting that they are welcoming the church into that process!
I am not sure how many churches/ ministries were represented there today, but there were many from all persuasions and racial backgrounds. It truly was the body of Christ coming together as one! I am excited to see where things go from here and to be part of this initiative!
I am not sure how many churches/ ministries were represented there today, but there were many from all persuasions and racial backgrounds. It truly was the body of Christ coming together as one! I am excited to see where things go from here and to be part of this initiative!
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Engagement....
Always thinking of ways to engage others deeper... I love the definition of engagement as bringing together the resources of God with human need.
Delighted to see folks at Community of Joy working at this type of engagement and leading others to step into the river! Pat Marvel is working with homelessness in our community and is looking for men's socks, underwear, long johns, gloves, gently used winter coats, and camping sized propane tanks. It is cold out now and our shelters don't open till January for the men. And there are some men who prefer to stay out all year long. So one way to engage is to share what we have with Pat who will share it with those in need.
Another way we are engaging is through serving God's Kitchen on Saturday - Lachelle Rappold and Karen Townsend are leading our efforts to prepare a delicious warm meal for the folks that come into Grace United Methodist Church's God's Kitchen on Saturday. You can help by bringing home made baked desserts at 10 a.m. on Saturday or by helping to serve the meal, or clean up from the meal.
Another way we are engaging is through joining with 13 other churches in Salisbury January through March - our turn is for two weeks in February and we work with our neighboring churches - Bethany Lutheran and Beacon of Light... to host 20 homeless men in our facility for the night and we also prepare them a hot meal, a hot breakfast, and send them out with a bag lunch in the morning. Rob Rappold is leading our efforts of engagement here.
We are faith based partners with Pinehurst Elementary School and constantly look for ways to engage there.
Our 5 Q Circles are looking for ways to as a group engage various needs in our community too!
A new team has been formed and has already conducted one Bible Study at the Wicomico Juvenile Department of Corrections facility at the request of the youth involved. This is a great way to engage with a need.
God has given us much... not only to benefit ourselves but to be shared as a way of engaging people in need with the resources of God... How will you engage our community, world, and individuals we meet along the way?
Delighted to see folks at Community of Joy working at this type of engagement and leading others to step into the river! Pat Marvel is working with homelessness in our community and is looking for men's socks, underwear, long johns, gloves, gently used winter coats, and camping sized propane tanks. It is cold out now and our shelters don't open till January for the men. And there are some men who prefer to stay out all year long. So one way to engage is to share what we have with Pat who will share it with those in need.
Another way we are engaging is through serving God's Kitchen on Saturday - Lachelle Rappold and Karen Townsend are leading our efforts to prepare a delicious warm meal for the folks that come into Grace United Methodist Church's God's Kitchen on Saturday. You can help by bringing home made baked desserts at 10 a.m. on Saturday or by helping to serve the meal, or clean up from the meal.
Another way we are engaging is through joining with 13 other churches in Salisbury January through March - our turn is for two weeks in February and we work with our neighboring churches - Bethany Lutheran and Beacon of Light... to host 20 homeless men in our facility for the night and we also prepare them a hot meal, a hot breakfast, and send them out with a bag lunch in the morning. Rob Rappold is leading our efforts of engagement here.
We are faith based partners with Pinehurst Elementary School and constantly look for ways to engage there.
Our 5 Q Circles are looking for ways to as a group engage various needs in our community too!
A new team has been formed and has already conducted one Bible Study at the Wicomico Juvenile Department of Corrections facility at the request of the youth involved. This is a great way to engage with a need.
God has given us much... not only to benefit ourselves but to be shared as a way of engaging people in need with the resources of God... How will you engage our community, world, and individuals we meet along the way?
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