EVERYBODY'S WIERD!!

This Sunday I will begin a series pertaining to imperfect people like you and me and how we can enter into community with other imperfect people. The series is based upon a book by John Ortberg entitled Everybody's Normal Till you Get to Know Them. We will start in Genesis ("beginning") because it is there that we see God working through a bunch of people that most would not give the time of day - liars, murderers, cheaters, deceivers, etc. As Ortberg says, "The writer of Scripture is trying to establish a deep theological truth: everybody's wierd.

Lest you think you are exempt from wierdness, take a look in the mirror. Think about your life, your skeletons in the closet, your latest mishap this week. Aha, caught you being wierd. Wierdness seems to be the norm, doesn't it?

However, God has a plan to bring us back to normality and we all are a part of that plan. So stay tuned. If you think you are too wierd, or you think somebody else is too wierd to be a part of God's community of faith, then join us this Sunday as a bunch of wierd people try to make sense of this thing we call Christianity. (Wierd, huh?)

PLAY IT AGAIN!

Some of you wanted to see the snowplow video clip I used from this morning's sermon again. If so, e-mail me and I'll send it your way. LOOK OUT FOR THE SNOW!!! Ah, the blizzards of life.

P.R.

FORSAKE NOT THE GATHERING........

FINALLY! Tomorrow we gather once again for worship in our sanctuary after having to cancel our services twice this month due to inclement weather. I don't know about you but when I miss going to church, the week (not to mention the day) just isn't the same. Oh, both times we took some time for worship in our home, but I missed being with the community of faith.

I realize many people aren't regular Sunday go-to-meetin folks, but I don't know how they can stand it. It just doesn't feel right not to be in church when it's Sunday. There's just a void that only God and His people can fill that takes place when worshiping together.

Anyway, I hope to see a crowd tomorrow. If you aren't from this area, I pray you take the time to worship with your local body of Christ in the church of your choice.

P.S. If it decides to snow, I pray it starts in the afternoon on Sunday. Fair enough??

P.S.S. Comments are more than welcome.

The future of the church??

Well, here they are. The latest confirmation graduates and newest members of the church. Does it scare you or excite you? As for me, I'm in their corner. What a great bunch! What say you??

Going TO church or being THE church??

Tomorrow we will celebrate with 5 of our youth their becoming members of our local body of the church. They will be 'confirmed" during the service and will publicly profess their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior (at least what that means for them at this juncture in their lives). They will then make vows of membership to God and to the church regarding their desire to walk in accordance to God's will, as well as become a part of the community of faith who seeks to rejoice and mourn, laugh and cry, TOGETHER.
As always, my concern is that we just go through the motions, pat them on the back, eat a meal with them, and then send them on their merry way, leaving them to fend for themselves in this crazy high pressure world we live in. Oh, we can meet each week together in church, (which is biblical and essential), but I just wonder how we can BE the church to them.
Will we pray for them? Will we go to their ball games and support them? Will we be there for them when they stumble? Will we give of our time to teach, to make cookies, to shoot hoops, to chaperone, to listen, to attempt to offer some stability in an unstable world? I certainly hope so.
Just because these kids are joining the church tomorrow doesn't mean it is the starting point for them. God has been at work in their lives prior to their even being born. It's just that tomorrow is a spiritual marker that highlights an important time that He is at work in their lives. And it provides those of us who have been a part of the church for some time, an opportunity and privilege to welcome them into something far greater than an institution, but a family, a community of faith. So let's not just go through the motions on Sunday, let's be the "alive and well" body of Christ that joins with these kids on this faith journey we call life.

CHECK THIS OUT!!

Just wanted to show you a few more pictures. The upper left is a picture of 4 wheel drive tractors driving cattle home on hiway 25 to Craig Sheppard's feedlot. If you can zoom in it's a cool shot. The road closed sign is on the west edge of town on hiway 96 while the house is our neighbor on the corner. The main streets are open but nowhere to park. Lots of snow yet to remove.

Our oldest boys and wives left this morning around 9:30 and sounds like they are getting along pretty good on the hiways. Thankfully they were going east. It worked out pretty well that we were snowed in as a family. Now you'll have to ask them if they agree. Later - P.R.