Lectionary Planning for May 2010

May 9

Blessed Because We Are A Blessing

Psalm 67

When you look closely at the structure of this Psalm, there is the implication that we oversimplify our relationship with God when we simply believe God blesses us. In these verses, it is at the very lest implied that we are blessed, precisely because we are a blessing. Establishing justice equitably, it would seem, is an essential element in receiving blessing. I don't think this is God rewarding good behavior, as much as it is the reality of how the world works.

May 16

It Ain't About What It's About

Acts 16:16-34

This is a fantastic story, with all the drama of a modern movie. There's a fortune teller, demon possession, an exorcism, a flogging, people begin jailed, an earthquake, a conversion experience and a feast! Wow! It would be really easy to loose the message in the midst of the drama. Interestingly enough part of the message is exactly that: frequently what something seems to be about isn't what it's about. Hidden in this passage is the promise of God's response to and care of those who stand for God's ways.

May 23

Pentecost

As The Spirit Will

Acts 2:1-21

The thought of a God whose Spirit stirs things up, not to mention stir us up, leaves many of us uncomfortable. The thought of a God whose Spirit brings new life where once there had been none, seems to act outside of our contemporary, scientific realities. The thought a God whose Spirit is not interested in the status quo, with how things are, how things have been, or even how we want things to be, leaves most of us feeling unsettled, uneasy, and certainly uninspired. The problem is, even with all of our subtle attempt to domesticate the Spirit, we have Biblical (and I would argue practical real life) witness to the fact that the Spirit of God is unruly, unexpected, unconventional and unconcerned with what we what or how things have always been done.

May 30

To Tell the Truth

John 15:26 – 16:15

The show, “To Tell The Truth,” challenged a panel of four celebrities to correctly identify a described contestant's occupation. This central character was joined by two impostors who pretended to be that central character. For everything that they were worth, the two impostors truly seemed to believe they were who they claimed to be. The same thing happens in life, we often believe ourselves to be a certain kind of person, but ofter the truth belies us. The same can happen in being Christian. As a matter of fact, in these verses, Jesus seems to be telling us to expect it to happen. The good news is that there will be one who comes to stand beside us (the Paraclete) and guide us in the truth.

Youth Sunday!

Don't miss Youth Sunday! On May the 2nd our Youth will be leading our worship service. This is always a meaningful service as the young people of our church guide us in the worship of God.

Lectionary Planning April 2010

April 11 – Worthy To Suffer Dishonor - Acts 5:27-41

April 18 – Winners and Loosers – Psalm 8 and Ephesians 2:1-10

April 25 – More Than a Death Dirge – Psalm 23

Palm Sunday and Easter

March 28, 2010

The Passion and The Palms

Mark 11:1-10; Mark 15:1-15

The people in the crowd were happy enough to greet Jesus when he arrived in Jerusalem, when everybody was waving palms and shouting Hosannas. But then the wind shifted, then the mood changed, and the people forgot their first enthusiasm in the rush to see just how far Jesus could be made to fall. Then that seemed like the thing to do at the time…. And how often do we find it easier to go with the social flow? How often do we find our devotion to Jesus ebbing and flowing with what seems important at the moment, with what seems valuable and appropriate in the cultural climate of our times? How many times have our “Hosanna’s slid into “Crucify him’s”? Whether it’s greed in the company boardroom, or self serving political positioning, or priests and clergy who betray their trust and abuse their people, or all the thousand little dishonesties that crop up in the midst of daily life—how often it seems our “Hosanna’s” become “Crucify him.” “Crucify him” or “Hosanna.” The choice is ours to make.

April 4, 2010

EASTER

Please be sure to join us for the Easter Sunrise Service at 7am. It is a wonderful way to begin this joyous day as well celebrate the Resurrection!

Then, join us for our Easter Worship Service at 11am. This a celebratory service full of inspiring music and communion. We have been given a gift and on this Sunday we celebrate because our joy can no longer be contained!

Sunday, March 14 - Come Worship With Us

The message during worship on the 14th will be a little different, but exciting. In a message entitled, "Prodigal Notes," we will be looking at the story of the prodigal son from Luke 15:1-3,11b-32, but as we have done once before part of the message will be done in song. With songs written by James Taylor, Chris Rice and others - it promises to be a real blessing! This year we will also be adding a very unusual version of the Bible to our reflection: The Cotton Patch Gospel. Come and join us in worship. ALL ARE WELCOME!

Sunday Worship Canceled Due To Weather

Church Services for this Sunday (1/31) have been canceled due to the weather. Please stay home, stay warm and worship God in the safety of your home. One way to worship at home might be this simple devotional site d365.

Lectionary Planning Throuhg March 7, 2010

Jan 31, 2010 – You Want To Be Great? - 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 – Probably my favorite sermon from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is “The Drum Major Instinct.” I couldn't help but think of it when I read the last line of today's scripture, “...but the greats of these is love.” In his sermon, Dr. King asks the question, “So you wanna be great?” Both in the verse and in his sermon there is a very clear message on the biblical version of “greatness.” With the opening of the International Civil Rights Museum in downtown Greensboro the day after this message is delivered, it only seems fitting to look at love, in part, through the lens of civil rights.

Feb 7, 2010 – The Trust That Transforms - Luke 5:1-11 -Trust changes everything. Trust transforms everything – our lives, our souls, the way we go about our lives, the way we trust each other…and yes even our church…um, check that, even God’s church. So, let us answer God’s call. Let’s prepare to be astonished. Let’s stop living life on the shoreline and answer God’s call.

Feb 14, 2010 – Your Unveiling - Exodus 34:29-35 - Transforming ourselves toward God is an ongoing struggle, taken up daily. When we do not struggle in prayer and reflection to claim our real identity, the world is denied the particular shape of God's love that can take place only in us. We also deny ourselves the chance to bathe in the love of God as we slowly peal off the layers of veils to discover who we really are.

Feb 21, 2010 – Spiritual Intelligence – Proverbs 9:1-9 - In today’s reading the virtues of wisdom and understanding are praised. Many of us are aware of our IQ or the measurement of our intelligence. Many of us even know our Myers-Briggs score or measurement of our personality. But very few of us even consider our Spiritual Intelligence, let alone try to expand it. As we begin Lent, I'd like to challenge us to spend time nurturing our Spiritual Intelligence.

Feb 28, 2010 – Foxes in the Hen House – Luke 13:31-35 – These five short verse actually have a lot to say about the state of The Church today. More specifically, they give us a clear message about what leadership and power in The Church looks like...safe to say, it isn't self-serving, controlling, or abusive. As long as foxes roam in and about The Church, Jesus calls us to lovingly confront them and insist that such behavior is not OK in the hen house. The Church is to be a servant community where it is love and grace that dominate.

March 7, 2010 – God: The Gardner – Luke 13:1-9 - Contrary to some popular interpretations, I think that in this parable, the vineyard owner represents the worldly perspectives, the human condition, the cause and effect curiosity, the part of us that want so badly to make sense of things in the world that make no sense to us - the part that wants that so badly that we are willing to be audacious enough to put words into God’s mouth. I think that because of our human condition, it can be sometimes easy to miss the point that in this parable, it is the gardener that represents God and we each individually are the fig tree.

Confirmation Classes to Begin SOON!

We will begin Confirmation Class near the end of February. There are three youth who will be taking it this year, but by request, we are opening the class up to those (youth and adults) who'd like to learn more about Presbyterianism. The class will begin meeting on Sunday, February 21st at 4:00 p.m and will meet for an hour each time. We will get together every other Sunday (excluding Easter Sunday) until the end of May. For the first class, pick up a copy of "Presbyterian Questions, Presbyterian Answers: Exploring Christian Faith" by Donald McKim and read the first two chapters.

unChristian Book Study!

Starting on the first Wednesday of February, we will begin looking at the book "UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity...and Why it Matters."

Class will being at 6:30pm here at the church and last for an hour. Feel free to bring a bag dinner with you to class if you'd like.

Order the book here: UnChristian

Here's a video preview of some of the information in the book:

We look forward to seeing you there!

What if Strabucks Marketed Like a Church? A Modern Marable.

What are your thoughts/ideas after watching this video?