Anthony Price recommends a course he has completed on Leadership and Spirituality through SENTIR. Anthony writes:
“As part of Masters studies I did a subject called “Group Leadership, Spirituality and Organisational Practice” through the Ignatian/Jesuit Spirituality team called Sentir in Melbourne. I can highly recommend this training institution and in particular this type of course for lay people and pastors in our LCA as it relates to congregations, schools and other institutions of our church. This course is good at combining good business and organisational principles with biblical and prayer resources. The Ignatian tools are a good fit for our Lutheran Church since they are biblical tools and grounded in a tradition that is also sacramental. This course models the following teaching methods: individual prayer/reflection time, learning to listen to others, group sharing and various teaching input. It equipped me with what I believe is missing in a lot of the business meetings that we do in our church and that is a prayerful and discerning way of doing business in our meetings. To put it another way, this course equips congregations, committees, ministry groups and organisations at being open to leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit through the power of the Word.”
A brochure on this course is available by clicking here – and that brochure also gives you access to the SENTIR website.


Praise The Ancestors!
Praise to my Ancestors!
- I give praise to my ancestors.
- I give praise to my guardian angels.
- I give praise to the universe.
- I give praise to Mother Earth.
- I give praise to all of nature and its beings.
- I give praise to all my guiding spirits.
- I give praise to all that came before me in this struggle.
- I give praise to my elders.
- I give praise to all those who have cared for me, protected me, guided me and loved me.
When I approach my Ancestor Altar, show respect, ask forgiveness if I have done wrong – but also tell them my troubles and don’t hesitate to express myself. Give a prayer and offerings of foods.
Foods offering to Ancestors.
I lost my father just one month ago on August 10, 2018. I’ll always missing my father who is in Heaven. He is always going to be in my heart forever.
I miss my Mom and Dad in Heaven. They’re angels and always looking down on me. I miss my parent till the day I die and I will always miss you, pray for you, and wait for the day when we can be together again.
I miss you, Dad! I’m not ready to say goodbye. Dad’s not in pain. When it’s time, rest in peace, Dad! You are always in my Heart.
Thank you for every single thing you’ve done for me in my life and every single smile you’ve given me. I know I don’t say it often enough, but I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH, we appreciate everything you did for us. Please forgive me, I am so sorry to the things, words or actions that I made by mistake to you. You are the greatest dad in the whole world. Thank you dad for being there always, you are the inspiration in our life and thank you for the confidence you gave me while growing up. We feel we are the luckiest person in the world because we have got such a great and loving father.
I remember how my mom and my dad always taught me to be strong and to thrive! God has given me enough time in a lifetime, enough appreciation, enough ability to understand and treasure the mother and father. I don’t say it enough – thank you to my mom and dad out there who work so hard every day to make the world better for their family.
I love you, dad! Although you are no longer with me, I still think about you and miss you so much.
May I dwell in safety.
May I be happy and healthy.
May I be free from afflictions.
May I be at peace.
May they dwell in safety.
May they be happy and healthy.
May they be free of afflictions.
May they be at peace.
May I be filled with loving kindness,
May I be well,
May I be peaceful and at ease,
May I be happy (or free from suffering.
May you be filled with loving kindness,
May you be well,
May you be peaceful and at ease,
May you be happy (or free from suffering).
May all beings be filled with loving kindness,
May all beings be well,
May all beings be peaceful and at ease,
May all beings be happy (or free from suffering).
May all beings have happiness
and be the causes of happiness;
May all be free from sorrow
and the causes of sorrow;
May all never be separated
from the sacred happiness
which is sorrowless;
And may all live in equanimity,
without too much attachment
and too much aversion,
And live believing in the equality
of all that lives.
May all beings everywhere, whether near or far, whether known to me or unknown, be happy. May they be well. May they be peaceful. May they be free.
May all be free from sorrow, and the causes of sorrow,
May all never be separated from the sacred happiness which is sorrow-less.


Making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Agency / Board Lay Nomination Form
Standing Rules III.D.3
Church Membership. All nominees shall have been professing members of
The United Methodist Church for at least two years preceding their nomination
and must be members of churches in the Virginia Annual Conference and shall
have been active participants in The United Methodist Church for at least
four years preceding their election. They also must be active members within
The United Methodist Church at the time of holding General Conference and
jurisdictional conference. The four year participation and two year membership
requirements may be waived for young persons under twenty-five years of age. Such
persons must be members of The United Methodist Church and active participants at
the time of election.


The president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, has demanded that the evangelical church clearly distance itself from the Judenmission [attempts to convert Jews to Christianity]. This topic, which is very important for Jews, was dealt with "unfortunately very vaguely" in a planned declaration of the Synod, said Schuster in an introductory greeting message on Sunday at the start of the Synod of the Evangelical Church in Germany in Bremen.
At the same time he praised the planned statement on "Martin Luther and the Jews", which the 120 synods wanted to consult about on Monday. It is important for Christian-Jewish dialogue that the Evangelical church "clearly distance itself from Luther's antisemitic side," said Schuster to the members of the church parliament.Source
It's a noteworthy aspect of both Muslim and Jewish supremacism that they cannot accept that practitioners of other faiths have a right to attempt to convert them. Each group thinks it is entitled to a special status in which it sits above and apart from the normal free interchange of ideas. There was a hostile article in the Jerusalem Post recently about the American politician Michele Bachmann's call to attempt the conversion of the Jews.
Former presidential candidate Michele Bachmann called for an intensified effort to convert Jews to Christianity.
“We recognize the shortness of the hour,” Bachmann said, “and that’s why we as a remnant want to be faithful in these days and do what it is that the Holy Spirit is speaking to each one of us, to be faithful in the Kingdom and to help bring in as many as we can — even among the Jews — share Jesus Christ with everyone that we possibly can because, again, He’s coming soon.”
First to report Bachmann’s call was Right Wing Watch, a project of People for the American Way, a church-state separation advocacy group. "A statement like Ms. Bachmann’s should serve to remind Jews that missionizing is, unfortunately, alive and well, and that we must always be on the lookout for it," said Agudath Israel of America spokesman Rabbi Avi Shafran.Source
Another article in the same newspaper welcomed the "conversion" of the actress Zooey Deschanel to Judaism. So, as with Muslims, conversion can only go one way.


This story is about a Prospect Heights (IL) church that refused a one million dollar bid for its property from a Korean American church. Instead, the church reportedly accepted a bid from a primarily white congregation for half that amount.
The suit alleges that at a June 10 meeting where the Antioch Korean Covenant Church proposal was under discussion, members of the Prospect Heights Community Church council urged the congregation to vote against accepting the Korean church’s bid.
“The remarks included statements that ‘Koreans are dirty,’ ‘Koreans do not clean their site’ and ‘Korean kids are running around and cannot be controlled,’ or words to that effect, in response to which a number of Prospect members cheered,” the suit states. Kim said Prospect Heights Community Church members who attended the meeting told her church what had been said.
In a subsequent meeting, members of Antioch Korean Covenant Church discussed the vote with the Prospect Heights Community Church council. Don Sampen, the Korean church’s attorney, attended that meeting and said the council members didn’t deny making the comments but also didn’t see anything wrong with them.
I’m always a little taken aback when people say that the church can’t be racist. Obviously they have no knowledge of history whatsoever. I’ve heard it said that “Sunday is the most segregated day of the week,” and there’s some truth to it. Certainly this is a result of historical patterns of institutionalized racism that persist to this day.
Also, the assumption that Christians can’t be racist carries with it the idea that that purity, cleanliness, righteousness and morality stem from Christianity. By implication this suggests that Christians are a moral step above the rest of us. I don’t tend to think that Christians necessarily are more moral than non-Christians. More and more I am starting to believe that discrete groups of people have within them a broad spectrum of personality types.
But I thought greed fell within everybody’s description, especially when it involved half a million dollars.


As Easter Friday arrives, I hope you take a moment to reflect on the true meaning of this holiday. Easter represents new beginnings, hope, and the triumph of light over darkness. It is a time to celebrate renewal, rebirth, and the promise of a brighter future.
May this Easter bring you peace, joy, and renewed strength. May it inspire you to let go of the past and embrace the present with open arms.
May it remind you that no matter how difficult the road ahead may seem, you have the resilience, faith, and inner resources to overcome any challenge.
At JMPBliss Media, we are honored to serve you and be part of your journey. We hope this Easter will be a time of joy, love, and connection with your loved ones. Let us all come together in spirit to celebrate this special day and to spread the message of hope and unity.
Wishing you a blessed and Happy Easter!


Star-Spangled Sunday is September 14
Join Us as We Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Our National Anthem
An Inspirational Event Celebrating the 200th anniversary of the
Star Spangled Banner
Participate in the 90-minute webinar event on Sunday, September 14, at 6 p.m. CST. Be challenged by the story and the speakers, which include Tony Perkins, Pastor Mark Harris, Rick Scarborough, and more.
“Together we will learn the forgotten story of the great acts of faith behind our National Anthem.” – Family Research Council
Location: Main Auditorium, The Nathaniel Center, 804 Russell Palmer Road, Kingwood, TX 77339


Torrance Kirby and P.G. Stanwood, editors
The open-air pulpit within the precincts of St. Paul’s Cathedral known as ‘Paul’s Cross’ can be reckoned among the most influential of all public venues in early-modern England. Between 1520 and the early 1640s, this pulpit and its auditory constituted a microcosm of the realm and functioned at the epicentre of events which radically transformed England’s political and religious identities. Through cultivation of a sophisticated culture of persuasion, sermons at Paul’s Cross contributed substantially to the emergence of an early-modern public sphere. This collection of 24 essays seeks to situate the institution of this most public of pulpits and to reconstruct a detailed history of some of the more influential sermons preached at Paul’s Cross during this formative period.


Dear Blog Readers (all four of you!),
I find that it is becoming something of a chore to turn an outline, or notes, or whatever I take into the pulpit with me into a manuscript that is readable by others on such a regular basis. That it feels chore-like tells me that I need to take a break from it for awhile. A sermon is an oral event, for which one prepares differently than in preparing a written piece. Turning whatever transpired in the pulpit into something that can be read takes a little work, and sometimes it takes more time than I have to spend. Perhaps after a summer respite I will feel motivated to take up the work again. It is hard to believe that there are over five year's worth of sermons posted here!
I think we also need to explore the possibility of webcasting the Sunday service, which obviously would include the sermon, so perhaps in coming months that might become a new option for those of you who like to re-hear, think some more about, or revisit something that caught your interest when you heard the sermon. If that comes to pass, you would be able to listen to the webcasts at whlc.org. Stay tuned for more info.
Several of you have told me that you appreciate being able to read my sermons after hearing them. I am glad that this has met a need for you, and am sorry that I need to step away from it for awhile. Thanks for paying attention, and on occasion, offering feedback!
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Do you like this story? How many of you would say that it’s one of your top-10 favorite Bible stories? How many of you would be willing to admit that it makes you somewhat uncomfortable? One commentator says that if this story doesn’t make you uncomfortable, you’re clearly not paying attention. What makes us uneasy, of course, is the sheer physicality of the woman’s actions. There’s just way too much touching and kissing for church.
Right? I mean think about it. The woman sneaks into a dinner party and approaches the honored guest, who is reclining at the table. In those days they sat sort of propped up on one arm, bent at the waist, with their legs and feet off to the side. This is how the woman is able to bend forward over Jesus’ feet and let her tears rain down upon them. She then moves even closer and dries his feet with her long hair. Can you imagine a dinner party where this kind of physical touch would be deemed appropriate?
But there’s more. She also repeatedly kisses Jesus’ feet. There is no way to interpret this metaphorically. She repeatedly kisses Jesus’ feet with her lips. And then she takes costly ointment and rubs it in into his feet with her hands.
The woman’s interaction with Jesus is, in fact, entirely physical. She does not speak a single word. She says nothing when she enters the room. She offers no greeting to Jesus. She is identified as a sinner — we do not know the nature of her sins — but she has no well-rehearsed confession of sin. At the end, she offers not a word of thanks, not even an “Amen.” It is all action.—100% physical, skin to skin contact.
And it is the touching that offends the Pharisee Simon, who had invited Jesus to his house for dinner. Simon is a scholar of Torah. He has been intrigued by Jesus’ teaching. He was expecting an evening of intellectual conversation with the rabbi, an opportunity to discuss and debate at length their various understandings of God. But instead of carefully chosen words and lively conversation, there’s all this touching.
The problem, so far as Simon is concerned, is that Jesus should know. Simon said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.” Jesus should know this woman’s status. He should know that she is a sinner. He should know that he should not allow himself to be touched, even a little let alone so much, by this woman. Jesus should know all the facts that are knowable, and should know better than to allow this kind of behavior. For Simon it is essentially an intellectual problem. How could Jesus not know and understand these simple facts? The touching would have been scandalous in any setting, all the more so in this setting where reasonable, articulate discourse was the expectation.
In her book, An Altar in the World, Barbara Brown Taylor, an Episcopal priest, tells a story about arriving early one Sunday morning at a church where she was to preach. Since no one else had arrived yet, she took time to look around the beautiful church and noticed a mural of Jesus emerging from the tomb. As she stood there looking at the mural, something started to nag a bit at the back of her mind. Something seemed to be missing. Then it struck her: Jesus looked too ethereal. In fact, his pale skin had no body hair whatsoever.
Without thinking she turned to a parishioner who had appeared at her side—an expensively clad, well-manicured, very put-together woman—and blurted out, “He has the arms of a six year-old. His chest is as smooth as a peach.” The parishioner gazed at Taylor in horror. “I can’t believe you’re saying this to me,” she said cooly. “I just can’t believe you’re saying this to me.” Apparently Taylor should have known better than to imagine aloud an earthly Jesus with body hair, just as Jesus should have known better than to allow himself to be touched so profusely by this woman, a sinner.
Taylor writes that Christians often find themselves "in the peculiar position of being followers of the Word Made Flesh who neglect our own flesh or worse — who treat our bodies with shame and scorn.” And also, says Taylor: "Here we sit with our souls tucked away in this marvelous luggage, mostly insensible to the ways in which every spiritual practice begins with the body.”
Every spiritual practice begins with and incorporates the body — like the sacraments? Yes, there are words, but at its heart, baptism is splashing in water — cool, even cold, water running down our foreheads, and over our brows, and off the tips of our noses. Sometimes babies even scream at the top of their lungs, a very physical response to a very physical act. And yes, there are words spoken at the table, and yet Holy Communion is essentially a piece of bread taken in your hand and a sip of wine sliding over your lips and down your throat. Communing with Jesus, the Word Made Flesh, is a physical act: eating and drinking.
Perhaps these spiritual practices, these sacramental actions, are meant to remind us that the Word is, indeed, made flesh, that the gospel is meant to be embodied. More than meant to be embodied, the gospel only is the gospel — can only be good news — when it takes on flesh and blood and becomes a tangible thing in the world, rather than merely a good idea about God, a lovely theological concept to be debated and discussed. The gospel becomes real only with tears, and feet, and flowing long hair, and kisses, and even body hair.
Could it be that we, like Simon, are made uncomfortable by this story because we also prefer our spirituality disembodied and detached, a mere idea or a feeling in our hearts, rather than so intimately embodied, so messily, even embarrassingly, enfleshed? Every time we are tempted to think that faith is all about what we know, the story of the woman’s bodily love for Jesus calls us back to an embodied faith, calls us to embody the gospel with our own bodies--our hands, and feet, and faces, and tears.
Feet get dirty. Feet are smelly. We don’t want to get our faces anywhere near them. It is not easy work washing dirty feet. It is never easy to do dirty jobs. It is not easy to empty bed pans in a nursing home, or to get too close to a homeless person who hasn’t bathed for a week, or to wade through the stinking muck to clean up a community after a devastating flood. It is not easy to love the unlovable, to forgive the unforgivable, or in any way to get face-to-face, face-to-feet, skin-to-skin with the broken, hurting world that God loves and that will only know God’s love when we, like the unnamed woman, dare to embody it in our flesh and enact it with our bodies.
Surely St. Francis was onto something when he said, “Proclaim the gospel always. Use words if necessary.” Our bodies matter. Our physical actions make all the difference in the world, far more perhaps than our thoughts and words. As the old song says, they will know we are Christians not by our words, by our words, but by our love. By our love.
Thomas, Debbie. "What the Body Knows." Journey with Jesus. Web. 9 June 2016.
Sunday, June 5, 2016
As a religious leader called, as Dr. King said, to participate in being "the conscience of the state," I feel compelled to share this statement from a very broad coalition of Christian leaders regarding the current presidential campaign. I do not agree with every conclusion articulated, but with most I do. It is somewhat long, because it is thoughtful, but I urge you to read, and perhaps re-read, it. I believe it speaks the truth, and in a non-partisan, deeply faithful way.
1 Kings 17:17-24; Luke 7:11-17
The books of First and Second Kings tell the stories of the kings of Israel — the good, the bad, and the ugly, and there are frankly more bad and ugly than good. In time God responds to the wickedness of the kings by raising up the prophet Elijah to express God’s dissatisfaction with their faithless leadership. In today’s first reading, Elijah has found refuge — in other words, the prophet of God is a refugee — in a foreign land, Zarephath, in the home of a widow and her son during a time of drought. Because of the woman’s hospitality for the refugee prophet, God provides a way of sustaining the three of them through this time of global crisis.
But then trouble comes. The widow’s son, her only security in the male-dominated social structure of the ancient world, dies. The widow turns on Elijah. “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to cause the death of my son!” Her words reflect the ancient belief that all bad things that befall a person are the result of some previous sin. So, she thinks, somehow the mere presence of the man of God in her house has brought her sin to light and resulted in the death of her son.
It’s not necessarily how we think about suffering, loss, and tragedy, though if you have ever asked the question, What have I done to deserve this?, you sort of get the logic of it. We have a tendency to seek explanations for why bad stuff happens. [But that’s a topic for another day.]
Elijah takes the boy from the widow’s bosom and carries him to the upper level where he has been staying. I don’t know why this detail never struck me before, but the boy must have been young and small enough to be carried in his mother’s, and then in the prophet’s, arms. That certainly adds a poignant image to the scene. This is a young one!
Elijah then laid the boy on his bed and “cried out to the LORD.” This is no tepid, quiet prayer. Elijah cries out to God, perhaps in anger: “O LORD my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I am staying, by killing her son?”
His words betray an unfortunate truth: the death of the son will bring calamity upon the widow. She will now be desolate, poor, and vulnerable to exploitation for the rest of her life as a woman not attached to a male-headed household. Elijah’s desperate cry reflects compassion for the woman who will now have to face the very harsh realities of a difficult life.
And notice that his compassion is for an outsider, a gentile, a non-Jew who does not hold to the same traditions or even worship the same God as Elijah. He has compassion for this foreigner who has shown compassion for him as a foreigner. Our holy scriptures are trying to teach us something important here: compassion for the plight of another human being can never be dependent upon sharing the same language, creed, or race. We are never called to show compassion only for those of our own tribe, only for those who are like us. The test of true compassion is our willingness to show it for the stranger.
In fact, compassion is the catalyst to healing in this story. It is the compassionate intercession of Elijah — his passionate cry to God on behalf of the widow — that stirs the compassion of God, who takes pity upon the widow and restores the life of her son. Despite the differences in language, culture, ethnicity, geography, religious identity, gender, and situation in life, the one thing the Widow of Zarephath and the prophet of Israel have in common is compassion. And that seems to be the one thing that they both have in common with God, who acts compassionately to sustain and restore life.
I hope when the gospel was read a moment ago, you heard the obvious parallels between these two stories about widows. The widow of Nain faces the same plight as the widow of Zarephath. Stunned, she walks the same path to the same cemetery where her husband had been laid to rest, watching the pall bearers carry the lifeless body of her only son. Really she walks toward her own funeral. Her life is over. Her prospects for a stable and sustainable life are gone.
Nain was in Galilee, called Galilee of the Gentiles because so many foreigners lived there. To the elite down in Jerusalem, Galilee was the wild frontier up north filled with so many of “those people.” Interestingly, it was where Jesus chose to do most of his ministry. Think about that for a moment: when God chooses to take on human flesh and dwell in the world, God takes up residence in a multi-cultural, multi-religious, pluralistic environment filled with a diversity of languages, customs, attitudes, and lifestyles rather than a world of cultural, religious, and racial homogeneity. The chief criticism of Jesus from his own people is that he associates with and helps strangers, outsiders, and foreigners.
Listen again to what happens when Jesus comes upon this funeral procession: “When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her.” Seeing the widow’s grief and understanding the desperation of her situation, the Lord’s first response is compassion. The Greek word is splanknizomai. Splankna are your guts. When something really strikes you, when you really feel it forcefully, you feel it in your gut. It is this sort of forceful, passionate, compassionate reaction that Jesus has to the widow’s plight. And so, once again, compassion — divine compassion — is the catalyst for healing. The Lord restored the woman’s son to life and “gave him back to his mother.”
Importantly, this is the first time in Luke’s gospel that Jesus is identified as Lord, as if to say, “this is what it means to be Lord.” To be Lord, to be Son of God, is to see the suffering, the desperate need of humanity, and to respond with compassion. To claim Jesus as our Lord implies a commitment to see the grief, the pain, the desperate need of others and to respond with a Jesus-like compassion. This is discipleship: to see with the eyes of Jesus and to respond with the compassion of Jesus.
Many, many things have changed in the world since Biblical times, but one stays the same: our call to see the world with the eyes of Jesus and to respond with the compassion of Jesus. We began worship today with me sharing announcements about the homeless shelter and Family Promise. These are two ways that we as a community of faith see the needs around us and respond with compassion.
But surely seeing with the eyes of Jesus and responding with the compassion of Jesus has many other implications for followers of the compassionate Lord. What does it look like to see refugees desperately fleeing warfare and inhumane conditions with the eyes of Jesus? Can those committed to practicing the compassion of Jesus support banning people from our country based purely on the religion they practice? What does it mean to see with the eyes of Jesus the plight of those who suffer lack of opportunity in our society simply because of their race or gender? Must it not hit us like a kick in the gut every time we see sisters and brothers excluded, hated, vilified, or subjected to violence because they are different from “us”, and does not their suffering always call forth from us the compassion of Jesus?
In his book, “The Name of God is Mercy,” Pope Francis urges leaders of the church to be compassionate shepherds to a wounded humanity. This message is consistent with what the Pope always seems to say. Wherever he goes, whenever he speaks, to whomever he speaks, including his address to congress last fall, he unfailingly calls us to practice compassion—compassion for the poor, compassion for the hungry, compassion for refugees and immigrants, compassion for addicts, compassion for imperfect people, compassion for the most vulnerable among us.
You get the feeling that for Francis, compassion is what it’s all about. Compassion is what it looks like to follow Jesus as Lord. Which only makes sense. If God desires to heal this broken world, and if compassion is the catalyst to healing, then it only makes sense that this would be our highest calling in life: to learn to see the world with the eyes of Jesus and to respond with the compassion of Jesus.
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
Some years ago I traveled to Tanzania with a group from the congregation I was serving to visit our companion parish in the Pare Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania. Because of various travel difficulties, we arrived much later than they were expecting us. Still there was a huge crowd of church members gathered in the darkness to greet us when we finally showed up severely travel fatigued. They led us immediately into the parish hall, where a great feast had been prepared in our honor.
As you know, Tanzania is a very poor country, but somehow they had procured and prepared a goat, the traditional festive meal for welcoming special guests. They brought the goat to the head table where we all sat facing everyone else in the room, and plopped the goat down in front of me. As leader of our delegation, it was my job to receive the goat. The assistant to the bishop fortunately was sitting right next to me, whispering in my ear what to say so that this ritual would unfold as expected. He advised me that I should thank our hosts for the gift of the goat and then — and this is the important part — invite everyone to join in sharing the goat with us. Since it was a gift, I had the prerogative to do with it whatever I wished — even keep it all for myself! Everybody was waiting for me to say the word that would invite them to join in the feast.
I had never before and have never since been treated with such deference and received that kind of special treatment. I’m actually glad for that because it made me feel rather strange. But it did make me wonder about the important, powerful people in our world — presidents, ambassadors, prime ministers, movie stars — who are always regarded with deference and given special treatment. I wonder if they get used to it and even come to expect it?
Roman centurions were accustomed to receiving special treatment. Being the commander of a hundred soldiers with sharp swords and pointy spears tends to encourage an attitude of deference, I suppose. People tend to do what you command without hesitation. The centurion would have been used to his word being obeyed immediately by his soldiers, his servants, and the citizens of Capernaum.
The centurion is a powerful person. He can increase his power by associating with other powerful people. (We would call it networking, right?) When he does a favor for another person, they know that they can ask him for one in return. Even when he does a favor for someone of lower status, the centurion is enhancing his reputation in the community, raising the level of esteem with which people regard him.
The powerful oftentimes help the needy in order to make themselves look good. We could think of many examples from our time, which is to say, the world still kind of works like this. Corporations do community service because they know it enhances their reputation in the community. The same kind of power dynamics apply to us. We often use our power to increase our power.
And that strategy has obviously worked for the centurion. The Jewish leaders of the community think he’s great because he built their synagogue for them.
Since the centurion has done this favor for the local leaders, he knows that they owe him a favor. So when a valued servant falls ill and is near death, the centurion asks the Jewish leaders to contact Jesus on his behalf. Apparently Jesus had a reputation for being a powerful healer in Capernaum. So the powerful leaders go to the powerful healer on behalf of the powerful centurion and say, “This guy is deserving of your help.” One could interpret that to mean, “he did us a favor in building the synagogue, so now we owe him one.”
But just when Jesus is about to show up on the centurion's doorstep, all of a sudden he says no. He sends emissaries to meet Jesus on the road with the message, “I am not worthy to receive you.” The centurion, whom everybody deems worthy to receive this favor from the Jewish community and the Jewish healer, unexpectedly confesses that he is not worthy, not deserving of the reciprocal favor.
And then, through the messengers, he asks Jesus to not even come to his home. Some say that the gentile centurion realized that the Jewish Jesus would become ritually unclean by entering the home of a gentile, but Jesus interprets it as a sign of faith. “Only say the word, and my servant will be healed.” The centurion has faith that Jesus can heal from a distance. He only need say the word, and healing will come for the servant.
This is important: it is usually the other way around. The centurion speaks, and his word is obeyed immediately by his subordinates, which would be pretty much everybody in the community. The centurion is one of the most powerful people in town. He now makes himself subordinate to Jesus and the power of Jesus’ word. It is this remarkable reversal of roles that Jesus commends.
The centurion willingly takes the lower place, and for that Jesus praises him. This gentile seems to understand what Jesus’ disciples are still struggling to grasp. Jesus’ teaching about the authentic use of power is difficult, countercultural, contrary to expectation. It is about becoming last and least and being servant of all. You recognize those words of Jesus, right? The one who would be first must be last. The one who would be great must be servant of all. It’s about using your power for the good of others and not primarily to benefit yourself.
Throughout his life Jesus demonstrated this very different way of thinking about power and authority. He associated with those who were considered dishonorable, or unworthy, or simply a waste of time and energy. He sought out not those who were well and successful, but broken and in need of healing. He found those who were left out and pushed to the margins and welcomed into his community those who were welcomed nowhere else. He was the helper of the helpless, who could offer him nothing in return. This countercultural view of power reaches its highest expression in Jesus when he gives his own life for the life of the world.
Like many of you I am considerably moved by the public witness of a modern role model who seems to understand Jesus’ teaching and example on the use of power and authority: Pope Francis, who avoids the trappings of his office, chooses a simple lifestyle (insisting on paying his own room bill at the end of the conclave that elected him!), intentionally associates with those who are most vulnerable and least powerful, and uses the power and authority of his position to champion their cause.
We all have power and authority. I know we don’t like that word authority, but it simply means the ability to get something done. And we all have it to some degree — probably more than we realize. We all have some power and authority. The ever-present question is, How will we choose to use it? For our own benefit? In service of others? To advocate for the least powerful and the most vulnerable?
Brothers and sisters, we confess our faith in God by our actions, by our public witness. What we do in our daily lives matters! May the ways we choose to use our power and authority reflect the One who chose to use his power and authority for our good and the good of all. Like the centurion, may we be willing to take a lower place so that the lowly be lifted up as God desires.
Cougar, Charles B., et al. Texts for Preaching: A Lectionary Commentary Based on the NRSV—Year C. Louisville: WJKP, 1994. Print.
Williams, E. Louise. “Living by the Word.” The Christian Century. Web. 27 May 2016.
Sunday, May 1, 2016
In my newsfeed one morning this week I found the headline “14 Stress Management Apps to Relax Your Mind & Body.” I glanced at the first paragraph of the story, but didn’t download a single app. I’ve had experience with stress management techniques.
A number of years ago I discovered that I have marginally high blood pressure, a gift from my genetic heritage, and my doctor put me on a low dose of medication. One day I read an article about how meditation (meditation not medication) can reduce blood pressure, so I thought I’d give it a try. Why take medicine if you don’t need to, right? So I would take my blood pressure, spend the recommended number of minutes doing the recommended meditation techniques, and then measure my blood pressure again. Nine times out of ten, my blood pressure was higher after meditating. So I decided I’d better forgo meditating in favor of medicating.
This says something about how we tend to define the word “peace” in our language. We tend to think of peace as the absence of something bad, like stress. When we do not have stress, we say that we feel at peace.
Or we may think of peace as the absence of some other bad thing: war, violence, conflict. Certainly that kind of peace would be a welcome thing in our war-torn world, and maybe even in our own feuding families, peace as the absence of something negative.
Yet when Jesus says “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you,” he seems to be saying that peace is not only the absence of something negative, but the presence of something positive, something good, that he bestows on us as a gift.
The biblical word for peace is shalom. Rather than absence of conflict or trouble, shalom means the presence of positive things: a sense of wholeness and wellbeing, a feeling of goodness that fills us, a sense of the presence of God with us. Shalom means harmony or balance within ourselves and between ourselves and the people and the things around us. Shalom means to rest securely in the knowledge that our lives are held lovingly in the hand of God, and because of that, our hearts need not be troubled or afraid.
When we define peace in this way, then it can come even in the midst of negative things. We can know peace even in the midst of hardship, difficulty, stress, and struggle.
Think about the context in which Jesus says these words. It is the night when he is about to be betrayed and handed over to death. Even as he knows fully what lies ahead, he is able to say, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” In the midst of a time of great trial and distress, Jesus is able to experience peace and give it as a gift to others.
This kind of peace comes to us as a gift, the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We can’t manufacture it for ourselves, or meditate ourselves into it, or for that matter, medicate ourselves into a place of peace, though we sometimes try. It is not synonymous with being happy, or financially secure, or successful, or finding ourselves in a stable place.
One of the things that struck me when I travelled to Tanzania some years ago was the sense of peace and joy that somehow pervaded the Christian community there. Certainly there was nothing in their outward circumstances that warranted such peace, where poverty and hunger were endemic and lack of access to healthcare and fundamental basic services was the way of life.
I remember standing one day in the pastor’s office — the pastor of our Tanzanian companion congregation — as a member of our group wondered about this incongruity between the peace and joy evident in the people and the dire circumstances in which they lived. He answered, “It’s because we know that Jesus is with us. Jesus is present with us in our struggles. Jesus does not abandon us. Jesus gave his life for us. Our future is secure in God’s hands. How could we not be filled with peace and joy?”
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” No, the peace the world gives is a peace we win for ourselves through our good choices, hard work, and good behavior. When we have done enough and achieved enough, and when we feel like we have enough, at least for the moment, then we sit back and say, “Ah, peace.” This kind of peace is like vacation, a brief respite from our striving.
But the peace that Jesus gives is different. The peace that Jesus gives lasts. The peace that Jesus gives endures, even through times of trial and stress and difficulty. The peace that Jesus gives has no strings attached. It is not a by-product of our achievements, but a pure gift of God given through the Holy Spirit. It is the gift of reassurance of all that Jesus said, all that he taught and showed us through his life: that God loves us and is well pleased with us, that nothing can ever separate us from so great a love, that God is with us and for us always, no matter what the circumstances of life may bring.
This — this — is the peace we share with one another every time we gather. When we take the hand of our neighbor and say “Peace be with you,” this is not a churchy version of saying “Good morning” or “Hey, how ya’ doin’?” It is a wish, a prayer, for that person to know the peace of Christ right here, right now, this day, this week, in the circumstances of his or her life whatever they may be. With this gesture, with these words, we are reassuring one another of all that Jesus said, of all that Jesus promised. We are reassuring one another that God is truly present in our lives. We are reassuring one another that each and every one of us is beloved of God and our lives held safely and securely in God’s hand. We are extending to one another a peace that enables us to go into this week confident that God is by our side and confessing, along with the psalmist, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”
So now we are going to sing. And then we are going to confess. And then we are going to pray. And then we are going to turn to another, take their hand in ours, and say “Peace be with you.” And because the Holy Spirit is at work in this — through these means, through these words, through these hands — you will receive not merely a friendly greeting from a friendly neighbor, nor the fleeting peace that the world gives, but the deep and lasting peace of God that Jesus keeps on giving through the Holy Spirit. May this gesture remind us of all that Jesus said to us and keep our hearts from being troubled and afraid.
Lose, David. "Easter 6C: The Peace the World Cannot Give." http://www.davidlose.net/2016/04/easter-6-c-peace-the-world-cannot-give/
Sunday, April 10, 2016
“After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias.” The timeframe is rather ambiguous isn’t it? The last thing we’ve heard is the story of Jesus’ appearance to Thomas in the room where the disciples had gathered behind bolted doors — last week’s gospel reading — and we have no idea how much time has elapsed before we come to this week’s story. It takes place simply sometime “after” that previous story.
I have a feeling that maybe some time had elapsed since Jesus’ last appearance, because the disciples have gone back to their previous way of life as fishermen. There they are in the boat, trying once again to make a living and having no luck. They have been out all night and haven’t caught a single fish. They have all seen Jesus in that room where they gather, so I wonder what is going through their minds. Where’s Jesus? What is he doing? Will he appear to us again? Will we ever see him again? Working through the stillness of the night, there would have been a lot of empty moments for those kinds of questions to roll around in their minds.
Then just a few moments after daybreak, they see a figure on the shore, who calls out to them, “Not catching any fish, are you?” “No,” they reply. “Try casting your net on the other side of the boat.” Which they do. What have they got to lose, right? And then they are amazed by a catch that strains their net to capacity — a 153 fish! Augustine said that God created 153 varieties of fish and interprets this passage to mean that all of creation comes to serve the risen Lord.
In any case, the disciples somehow recognize Jesus in all this abundance. Maybe because Jesus is always mixed up with abundance. It seems to follow him around.
Or maybe it is the diversity of the catch. All types and sorts of people found welcome in Jesus’ presence. Maybe that extends to fish too!
But what’s extraordinarily different about this post-resurrection appearance is that for some reason the disciples obey before they recognize the Lord. When he tells them where to cast their net, they do it, even though they don’t recognize him yet. This may sound a simple thing, but think about it: obedience precedes recognition. And in obedience they then recognize the Lord.
Albert Schweizer in the book for which he is most famous (The Quest for the Historical Jesus) comments eloquently on this:
He comes to us as one unknown, without a name, as of old, by the lake-side, he came to those men who knew him not. He speaks to us the same word: “Follow thou me!” and sets us to the tasks which he has to fulfill for our time. He commands. And to those who obey him, whether they be wise or simple, he will reveal himself in the toils, the conflicts, the sufferings, which they will pass through in his fellowship, and, as an ineffable mystery, they shall learn in their own experience who he is.
How do we know who Jesus is? How do we encounter him in our time? In obedience. In doing the things he asked us to do. Love one another. Serve those in need. Care for the hungry and the poor. Welcome all people, especially the outsider. Forgive one another. It’s not like we need to know Jesus and then do these things, but that we come to know him, come to recognize him, as we obey the commands he has given us.
Earlier this week Pope Francis tweeted (yes, gotta love a pope who tweets!), “I encourage you to bear witness to Christ in your personal life and families: a witness of graciousness, solidarity, spirit of service.” It is in obeying Christ’s command to serve — in our personal lives, in our families — that we come to recognize him.
Another extraordinary thing about the amazing catch of fish is its diversity — 153, symbolic of the great diversity of fish created by God. We should read this as symbolic of the mission of the church. In obeying the command of Jesus to love and to serve, the church will embrace a great and abundant diversity of folks — all types and sorts and conditions. And the net will not be torn despite the vast number and variety of fish. The unity of the church can be maintained even amidst its great diversity.
As I was leaving the church one night this week, I was struck by the diversity of people and activities taking place in the building. One of the younger Heartland Choirs was rehearsing, learning to make music with one another. Some of their non-singing siblings were sitting in a room doing homework. Some of their parents were sitting together chatting. A couple of families were in another room learning how to shop for and prepare nutritious meals on a budget with an instructor from ISU Extension. And another group sat in silence in another room engaged in contemplative prayer.
What a great diversity of activity practiced by a diverse collection of people all under one roof. It struck me as symbolic of the great diversity of the church, which we can bear and not break because we are the church, we are the community that does what Jesus commands us to do. And when we are doing what he asks us to do, we can bear all the diversity and difference that it brings.
The second scene of today’s gospel reading shows Jesus welcoming the disciples on shore and feeding them breakfast, a substantial meal of fish and bread to sustain hungry workers who have toiled through the night. Symbolic of the mission of the church, do you think?
Yes, Jesus will sustain us for lives of faithful obedience. Jesus feeds us with his Word and with his very life communicated through bread and wine. Fed and sustained by his grace, we have the sustenance that we need in order to be obedient to his command in our daily lives. And as a community, as a congregation, he provides the resources that we need to do the loving and the serving that he commands. Jesus never asks us to do anything as a congregation that he has not already given us the resources to do. Jesus will sustain us for the work of loving and serving that he asks us to do.
Perhaps most extraordinary of all is the third scene of today’s gospel story, the scene where Peter experiences the forgiveness of Jesus. Three times Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me?” And three times Peter says, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Clearly Peter’s three yeses are meant to parallel his three nos, his triple denial of Jesus in the courtyard of the high priest. His denial of Jesus is met by the forgiveness and reconciliation that he experiences from the risen Lord.
And then notice how he is commissioned by the Lord for a task. “Feed my sheep.” Three times Jesus repeats the commission, the sending, the command to love and to serve: “Feed my sheep.”
Might we see a parallel again to the mission of the church? Of course. We are fed. We are forgiven by the gracious presence of the risen Lord. And then we are sent to feed his sheep. To seek the lost. To care for the hurting. To lead the vulnerable to safety. To be good shepherds in our daily lives in obedience to Jesus’ command.
Three times Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me?” You might say that Jesus asks each of us this same question everyday. “Do you love me?” And we answer that question with our lives. We answer that question in our relationship with our children and parents, our spouse, our friends, and co-workers. We answer that question in how we spend our money and choose to use our time. We answer that question when we forgive others and when we do not forgive others. We answer with our lives, every day, Yes and No.
“Do you love me?” asks Jesus. “Do you love me?” Jesus asks you. May our answer be, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Cousar, Charles B., Beverly Gaventa, et. al. Texts for Preaching, Year C: A Lectionary Commentary Based on the NRSV. Louisville: WJKP, 1994. Print.
Sundays and Seasons. Augsburg Fortress, 2016. Web. 7 March 2016.


Who We Are
It's been over 200 years since John Sprinkle set foot in what is now downtown Newburgh. It grew to become a very important community and has continued its growth and prominence into the 21st century. Not long after Newburgh was platted, a Methodist church was established and began what would be a long and vibrant ministry and key part of the Newburgh history.
Today, Newburgh United Methodist sits on the primary road between historic and "new" Newburgh and continues the great legacy of ministry to the Newburgh area. Our mission states that we are committed to Growing Passionate Disciples. That means we are working every day in every ministry to help people develop into enthusiastic and committed followers of Jesus Christ. We continue to do just that every day with children, youth, families, and adults of every age.
It's because we take seriously our United Methodist motto to have "Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors." So, all of our ministries are open, just like Jesus' arms, to all people because we want all persons to know that they are known and loved by God and are called to eternal life through Jesus Christ.


Helderberg Hospice Carols by Candlelight
Helderberg Hospice invites you to celebrate the true message of Christmas on Wednesday 11 December 2019 at our annual Carols by Candlelight event, held at the beautiful Vergelegen Estate, Somerset West.
The gates to the parking area open at 17h00, with the Carol Service starting at 19h00.
Bring your picnic basket, chairs or blanket, a torch, warm clothing and all your family and friends to enjoy supper on the lawn before the presentation of the Christmas Pageant and communal singing under the stars.
Ticket prices are as follows:
Children under 3 years of age: Free
Children 3-15 years of age: R50
Pensioner 65+: R90
Ages 16 and older: R110
Tickets are now on sale at Computicket.
Please click here to buy your tickets.
If you would like to be informed about any other events hosted by Helderberg Hospice, please subscribe to our Events Newsletter.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions


James 3:14-15 – “But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.”
The bible calls bitterness a root and this actually describes exactly what bitterness is in people’s lives, because once you give bitterness a place in your life, once bitterness becomes a strong hold in your life, it actually digs deep, becoming the source and origin of many wrong beliefs, patterns of behavior and actions. Bitterness is actually the doorway for many more destructive thought and feelings.
Unforgiveness is what opens the door for the bitter root to take hold. Holding on to hurts and offenses and refusing to forgive others even when we feel they don’t deserve it, will give bitterness an open doorway to enter through.
Bitterness actually is a very dangerous poison, which runs amok in someone’s mind, corrupting everything the person feels and thinks. Bitterness will always surely be accompanied by its friend’s jealousy, anger, malice, unforgiveness, rudeness etc. A bitter person walks around with a victim mentality, with a chip on their shoulder, feeling like someone owes them something. As long as we hold on to unforgiveness, resentment, hatred and anger, we can never be free from bitterness; it will continue to poison our minds and our lives. Our lives will stop growing and progressing in a healthy way as we stay stuck in the past, in the wrongs of the past, the wounds of the past. Our relationships with others will continue to suffer and strain as we view them through wounded hearts, and see them with wounded eyes.
For many years, I lived with a lot of bitterness in my heart; it was so tangible that I could feel it. My heart was always heavy, resentful, and angry; I had no peace from around the age of 13. Because of many things that happened in my life, I grew very bitter and walked around with a victim mentality. Growing up I was a very energetic, active, friendly child, but as things begun to change in my parents’ lives, being the greatly. Sensitive, emotional person I was, it all affected me very greatly. I loved my father greatly and admired him more than he knew and his alcoholism, abuse of my mother and irresponsibility greatly wounded me. When he committed suicide I felt even more bitter and hurt. A lot of hurt caused to my mother by grandmother and uncles before and after my dad’s death made the root of bitterness continue to develop stronger and stronger roots to where it became a major stronghold in my life. I developed severe depression which further aggravated my negative disposition such that I viewed life through very distorted eyes.
Rejection, hurt, pain, neglect, abuse will always cause bitterness if we do not forgive and let go. Keeping all these things bottled in certainly crowded my mind with permanent negativity and consequently affected my relationships with other people. People were an enemy to guard myself from no matter who they were. I did not trust anyone, so I was always a loner and a recluse, keeping myself away from the mean bad world. It’s funny that I though everybody else was the problem not me. Bitterness will always be attached to pride. A bitter person only sees their hurts. Any hurts they cause others will always be excused in light of their own hurts which are more important them.
It’s important to note that bitter people don’t always look or act bitter. Many may smile and never look sad, but all you need to do is listen to how they talk and what they say and you will not fail to notice the bitterness. Have you met people who always say negative things about others? Always have something to criticize and despise in others? Malice and hatefulness are a sure sign of a bitter heart. Others may not outwardly criticize, but may have low self esteem and turn the bitterness onto themselves through self pity and wanting to be validated. The expression of bitterness will vary, but the fruit will always be the same.
One of the key things bitterness does is to steal our peace and cause us also, not to be at peace with others. With bitterness come strife and division, internal turmoil and conflict. Peace cannot reside in the bitter heart.
Heb 12: 14-15 says “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”
The great thing is that through Gods help and through our relationship with Jesus, as Christians we can overcome bitterness through the application of Gods word, commitment and of course prayer. Below are some steps towards overcoming bitterness with God’s help
This is the first thing we have to do. Until we forgive those who have hurt us and offended us, we cannot be rid of bitterness, its just not possible. Forgiveness is so crucial that Jesus says this in Mathew 6:15 “But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” We are plainly told that unless we forgive others then we should not even bother to ask God for forgiveness and without forgiveness for ourselves then we are not right with God. When we begin to realize how serious Jesus was about forgiveness then we will desire with all of our hearts to forgive. Not because the people we are forgiving deserve it, but because God requires it of us. Obedience means doing the right thing even when it HURTS!
In Matthew 5:23-24 we find Jesus telling us that if we bring offerings to him and we remember that we are not right with our brother, that we should go first be reconciled and then make the offering. Jesus was simply saying that we need to be right with each other first before we can expect him to receive our requests and sacrifices. In 1 john we are told that if we do not love our brother whom we can see, then we cannot claim to love God whom we can’t see. We become hypocrites when we say we love God but hate each other.
Now it’s important to note that forgiving someone does not excuse what they have done, it’s not a way of validating the bad they have done. What forgiveness does is free us from the burden of carrying people prisoners in our hearts. Forgiveness sets us free, it’s for own good actually. It’s saying, you know what I may not agree with what they did, but I choose to let it go so that I can be right with God and so that I can move on.
The reason why it’s so difficult to forgive many times is because we want compensation for our pain. We want the other person to suffer like we have, we want them to apologize and acknowledge what they have done, and we want vengeance. But unfortunately we cannot control the actions of others; we can only control our own. Sadly you may never get an apology, you may never get that validation, but Gods ways and thoughts are always higher than ours (Isaiah 55:9) and he says “ vengeance is mine, I will repay” (Romans 12:19). Its either we trust him or we don’t.
Once we ask God to help us to forgive, he actually does. When we feel it’s too hard, but come to him with sincere hearts ready and willing to forgive, he will definitely fill us with his love for others and forgiveness will be possible. But it takes surrender!
Ephesians 4:30-32: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
2. Abiding in God through surrender
It takes a willingness to surrender to forgive, but it also takes a greater act of surrender to continually day by day abide in Gods ways, and have him dictate how we are to think, act and treat others. Bitterness is a stronghold which cannot be defeated in one day. Because of the pervasiveness of its poison in our minds, it twill definitely be a process to transform our minds to the point where we find no traces of its fruit in our lives. There will always be slips, small and great. You may find that it takes a while to overcome anger. You may find that after walking free from anger one day you just find yourself losing your temper and getting consumed with guilt. You may find yourself being rude without realizing etc. Emotional healing is usually a process because it means walking through and sorting through piles and layers of wrong beliefs, attitudes, hurts, wrong perceptions etc. But don’t give up when you fail, God is patient with you, be patient with yourself, but keep going. The bible says “For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again”. [Proverbs 24:16]
3. Meditate on his word
To effectively walk through the process, it takes a daily surrender to God and what he says in his word. We cannot effectively overcome bitterness without consuming the word of God. The word of God is living and active (Hebrews 4:12), its not mere words in a book, they are the very words that give us life. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, these words bring life and change us in ways we can’t imagine. To deny ourselves these words, is to deny ourselves life. These words have changed the vilest of sinners into saints. Permanent change comes from the work the Holy Spirit does in our lives as we meditate upon the word of God. It will never come from people, self help or counseling. All other kinds of help are always temporary.
4. Guard you heart
As we continue letting his word transform us, it’s important also to be practical and guard our hearts from all evil .Proverbs 4:23 says “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (NLT says “it determines the course of your life”). You may need to stop watching certain shows on television, stop listening to certain music, stop reading certain emails, certain books, stop hanging out with people who want to gossip and lure you back into negativity and bitterness. It only takes a little exposure to evil to find our peace is no longer there and we are slipping back into old thought patterns and behavior. Guard your heart; it’s your heart, your life. Do not let anybody steal your peace from you.
Another important way to guard our hearts is to watch how we talk and what we say. Constantly putting yourself down, putting others down, being mean and offensive, and always having something to say about everything is not very wise. James 1:19-20 says “Listening and Doing My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry”. Sometimes, talking too much and always having an opinion can cause to find ourselves always saying things we shouldn’t. It’s good to speak, but carefully. That is wisdom.
Watching our thoughts is also very important. Our thoughts reveal what we really think about things. We can always put on a show outwardly, but out inner thought always tell us who we really are. When you are full of negativity and bitterness, it takes more than positive thinking to change how you think. It takes filling your mind with new thoughts, new beliefs. The word of God does this. As we meditate on his words and on his thoughts which are higher than ours, we begin to think like he does. We begin to be transformed into his image from the inside out. True Change has to begin form inside out.
Proverbs 23:7 “for as he thinks within himself, so he is”
5.Dwelling in his peace through prayer
True and perfect peace comes from God. As we begin to become closer to God and think as he wants us to think, act like he sys we should we act, we find ourselves having true peace.
Isaiah 26:3 says “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you”. This verse tells us that as we keep our minds stayed on God, focused on him, then he will keep us in perfect peace.”
Prayer keeps our minds on God. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to “pray without ceasing”. That means we should always have the lord in our minds, be in communication with him always and not only at set prayer times.
Phil 4:6-7, also emphasizes on the importance of staying focused on God and taking everything to him. It says “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”


Worship - the reverent love accorded a deity. The ceremonies, prayer or acts by which this love is expressed. To show honor and love. It is also the act of sharing common reverence and love with others. This definition does not include a time or place. Worship is merely an act that can be performed anywhere and at any time. Be it in a church, an empty football stadium, or a long lonely road before the sun rises. I grew up believing worship took place inside four walls at appointed times with definite parameters and rules for participation. As I have matured in age and thinking, studied and participated in many different forms of worship my beliefs have changed. My favorite cathedral, the place I feel closest to God and most worshipful is not inside four walls in concert with other people, but rather is in the woods and most often alone.
A long run is the perfect way to spend some time in prayerful, communion with the creator. The one who loves me unconditionally and is always present to hear my complaints, praises, secrets and confessions. As I run hymns of praise, prayers of thanksgiving and petitions both personal and for friends run through my mind. A long run strips you down to the bare bones and leaves you vulnerable and open to the hearing the voice of God.
So how exactly is a long run like worship? On my last run "The Doxology" was on a continuous loop in my brain...."Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him all creatures here below; Praise Him above you Heavenly Hosts; Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost." Totally fitting as my runs almost always begin with prayer. Prayers of thanksgiving for seeing me and my family safely through the night and blessing us with another day. For giving me a partner in life, love, fitness and health who totally "gets" me. For friends who share goals and dreams and time on the trail. For the beauty of the woods, songs of the birds waking up, the sunrise over the trees, the deer and other wildlife that cross my path as I run. I utter prayers of petition for safety as I run. For God to protect me and my running partners from the pitfalls of the trail; roots, holes, thorn bushes and creepy, crawling creatures.
Running is also a time to face some demons. Satan will always attack when we are at our most vulnerable and long distance running puts one in a vulnerable physical and mental state. All of my inadequacies and shortcomings are brought into view. It is very easy to start the comparison game....I'm not fast enough, strong enough, tough enough, etc., and even more juvenile thoughts that are too embarrassing to actually list here. Never mind that my mile pace is faster than this time last year or that my feet and knees are stronger and not putting me on the sidelines because of injury...I'm still not satisfied because I'm still slower than others. The list goes on and on and could completely ruin a beautiful run if allowed to go unchecked. I always say that long distance running is as much, if not more, mental as it is physical. Trust me you will be mentally tested on a long run through the woods. This is where prayers of petition are extra important. Prayers for help to take every thought hostage and change its course. God is always faithful to remind you of your strength, stamina, determination and desire to improve and finish strong. When asked He will always provide what is needed to accomplish all our goals.
At the end of the run, no matter where we finish, someone is there to offer encouragement, praise, water, nutrition, whatever we need. Running partners are the greatest friends and sometimes family a person can have. Like a congregation of worshippers is faithful to show up for Sunday services, running partners are always faithful to show up for a training run, travel to races together, provide emotional, mental and physical support, whatever is needed.
Hopefully I will see you on the run...maybe even in my favorite cathedral on a Sunday...maybe even a Saturday...


Pastor Bob Loggins’ Message: "Our Nation is in Trouble" is a very familiar one in the Christian community. Today his message is in 2 Chronicles 7:14 speaking about the trouble in our nation. Solomon had finished praying and fire came down from heaven. Solomon had done what King David, his father, could not do. He had completed the building of the Temple of God in Jerusalem. The temple of God was a magnetizing symbol of the Lord’s presence. However, Pastor Loggins reminds us that God was displeased with His people, the nation of Israel. In the same way today, God is displeased with our nation, America. Israel had sinned and in the same way, America has sinned too. Israel embraced some wicked ways, today America has embraced wicked ways and Irael refused to turn from her wicked ways. Why is our nation, America, filled with wicked ways? The church has some wicked ways because individual members have some wicked ways as well. To help us in our endeavor of spiritual transformation, Pastor Loggins provides three things that America and every church and Christian believer must do. What are these three things? Now from the pulpit of the Lord’s church, Pastor Loggins invites us to apply these three principles in turning not only our nation around but our church and our lives around as well. Are you ready to get out of trouble with God? Listen to this message from Pastor Loggins and you will know the path to turn from your wicked ways.
BOB LOGGINS'S MESSAGE: "THE TIME HAS COME: TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES"
Pastor Loggins begins his message today in 3 John verse 4 speaking about the "The Power and the Peace of Walking in Joy”. Pastor Loggins message of the John the Elder, possibly the brother of the Lord Jesus Christ, is one that challenges Christians all over the world to be honest with both God and man. John was in an environment of deception. It was often difficult to identify the traits from a Christian and a heathen. John cuts to the point and simply says the way you know that difference is always connected to “Truth”. Truth separates the saint from the sinner and the honest soul from the hypocritical soul. Then John drives home the key point to which Pastor Loggins admonishes all Christians to realize that there are consequences to all our actions – one might say, it is a matter of “Truth or Consequences.” John letter comes at difficult times. Persecution is rampart. Christians are being challenged to live the “Truth” or to life a “Lie”. Which one will you choose? Are you operating in the “Truth”? Find an easy chair and call your family together and listen as a family to what happens when “Truth” is compromised and Christ Word is watered down. Carve out this time to teach your children as parents what it means to truly live the “Truth of God’s Word”. Open you Bibles with Pastor Loggins to 3 John as he not only illustrates in a humorous manner the value of “Truth” but he also applies the reward of “Truth”. Listen now as Pastor Loggins shares God’s Word from the pulpit of his of a young church plant in St. Louis, Missouri, 10 October 2010.
Pastor Loggins’s Message: "How to Handle the Devil’s Tricks: Dressed in the Armor of God."
Pastor Bob Loggins takes his text from Ephesians Chapter 6. What does the believer need to do when faced with satanic forces of evil? Is there any hope for those of us who are under spiritual attack from the Evil One? There's a climate of confusion when it comes to going face to face with spiritual forces of evil in high places. The thing that causes the force of evil to succeed is when we are improperly dressed to do battle with Satan and his fallen angels. There are at least seven pieces of armor all believers need to dress in on a daily bases. The time has come for every believer to learn how to deal with the Devil’s tricks and distractions. Where is this spiritual attire found in the Bible? Is it possible to be dressed for spiritual success? To be dressed for success in dealing with the Devil’s tricks, we will need to turn our full attention to Ephesians 6:10-20. Learning how to be properly dressed is critical in being a follower of Jesus Christ. However, one will never be properly dress apart from receiving Jesus Christ as one’s Savior and Lord. There are far too many improperly dressed Christians. Yet on the other hand, there are those who are not Followers of Jesus Christ. These are they who are in the greatest danger in dealing with the Devil and his fallen angels. As a matter of fact, one day there’s going to be a judgment for everyone – both sinful man and the Devil and his fallen angels. On that day, God will remove Satan and all of his demonic forces of darkness. However, those of us who are dressed spiritually, we will not only experience eternal success but presence earthly victory as we take our stand against the Devil’s schemes. But, those who are not saved will spend eternity with Satan and his demonic forces of evil. Therefore, are you ready for that day when God will remove Satan and all his angels? God is a God of judgment and He loves us. He offers forgiveness to everyone if we come to the cross where Christ took our sins. This only happens when we are dressed in the armor of God. Now listen prayerfully to Pastor Loggins from the pulpit of The WORD Is Alive Ministries, a Disciple Making Church in St. Peters, Missouri, USA, 16 November 2008.
What do you do when you don't know what to do? What's the next step? Where do you bring your impossible probelm? That is what this message is about. It teaches the believer how to trust completely upon God's supernatural divine intervention. Jesus is our answer. He knows how to handle our problems. It does not matter what it is. We are instructed by Scripture to "Bring it to Jesus". This message will teach you how to do just that.


Examples of Diocese in a sentence
The Diocese reported 10individuals credibly accused: six diocesan priests, three religious order priests, and one deacon.
To assist in answering this question, it would be helpful to say that the Diocese has no authority over the laity except whether or not they may participate in its programs.
Amen.Faith in Maine:This is a podcast produced by our Episcopal Diocese with various members of the clergy giving their thoughts and prayers.
Do such individual(s) ever return to any ministry?Response from Diocese: The Diocese of Arlington, in an effort to be transparent and assist in the John Jay study, released in 2003 its credible allegations numbers since its founding as a Diocese in 1974.
It’s important to know that our Diocese has contributed a $15,000 grant in support of our ministry.


Who Am I? The Gospel Truth About Mankind New Ebook: Many people are perplexed at life and rarely find fulfillment. People don’t always see the truth available to them; this is why I created this resource to help those who honestly are seeking to find fulfillment and purpose in life. I have felt the frustrations of life myself and always wanted someplace I could go to reflect on conflicts in life.
Truth is not an elusive or relative concept; it is obtainable and reachable in this life. Read the thoughts within these pages and together we will take part in the journey called life.


I really want to thank those of you who have been lifting me up in prayer! I don't recall if I have told you how evident your prayers have been. This has been a process that would normally stress me out, but the last 5 days have been some of the most encouraging and peace filled days I can remember.
I mentioned it briefly in another post but I want to highlight perhaps the most revealing thing about ministry I have learned this week. It will seem obvious, but I think we often forget it and thus lose out; that we are so dependant on the presence of the Holy Spirit when we are in ministry. Sometimes we become so used to His presence that we may become numb to its power. Even Jesus when he was in the wilderness and then headed into ministry did so with the Holy Spirit not on his own, check it out in Luke 4. This was so evident in our role plays this week. "I can do nothing apart from Him who gives me strength, but I can do everything because of Him."
Today your prayers were even more evident as I went through what I expected to be my most challenging day with compleate peace and ease. I passes my MMPI psych assesment with flying colors. With no signs of Crazy and or depression, which is actually an answer to those other prayers for my Thyroid! He even said I am psychologicaly fit for overseas living and very well adjusted and have no visible signs of stress. My meeting with my doctor was also smooth and easy, he saw no reason I could not go, and said that Rome has great heath care. My interviews with the leadership went just dandy as did all my meetings with people from every area of the World. I also got the basics of what support I am going to need and how they put together our packages, as well as how those packages care for our total health and the organizations health. I am totally sold on how ReachGlobal cares for their people.
All that to say THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRAYERS!!!
Ways that we unintentionally create or contribute to conflict and misunderstanding - None of us sets out to create conflict with others. Most of us truly dislike conflict and will go to great lengths to avoid it. However, it is also true ...
2 weeks ago


Sunday, February 26
Bishop William (Chip) Stokes will celebrate at the 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist.
We encourage all parishioners to attend and bring family and friends
to this special service.
Tuesday, Feb 28
St. John’s Salem will once again host our Shrove Tuesday annual Pancake Supper.
Join us as we host St. Luke’s, Woodstown, St. George’s, Pennsville, and Our Merciful Saviour, Carney’s Point. Begins at 6:00 p.m. Sign up in the Parish Hall or call the church office [856-935-1798] by February 21. For more information, contact Ron Magill or the church office.
Ash Wednesday, March 1
Mark Your Calendars! St; John’s will have two Ash Wednesday services on March 1:
One at noon in the Chapel and another at 7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary.
And Deacon Sally will be taking ashes to the hospitals, nursing homes and
shut ins during the day.
All Yoga Classes are now on Monday and Thursday nights from 5-6 p.m.
Prospective singers & ringers:
If you are interested in singing with the St. John’s Choir or ringing bells with the Salem Ringers, please contact Minister of Music, Bill Clisham, at your earliest convenience. There are no audition requirements, but a placement interview is necessary. Contact information is on the staff page of the Service leaflet … or simply come to the organ console after the Postlude to speak to Bill.
Please check the weekly service bulletin (at left) and the monthly newsletter (Forerunner - click here)
for more upcoming events.
Click here to view / download ECW November Newsletter (.pdf)


2-CD set “Healing on the Journey: Conversations to Shine Light on Your Path”. This compilation is a matter of the heart. Marsha felt it was time to tell her stories so others could learn from her challenges and her joys. She calls them “Catalyst Conversations” because she wants you to enter the journey with her to be inspired, and to know that you can do more than survive – you can thrive! She takes her time in the telling so that you feel you are experiencing each scenario with her. Then the questions are: What would you have done? Or, how did you handle this situation in your own life? We learn that there is healing in the telling of our stories. Come along and listen . . .
This 2-CD set “Healing on the Journey: Conversations to Shine Light on Your Path” will serve as a guide as you walk toward the fullest expression of yourself.
$20 plus shipping
Thank you for the "Healing on the Journey: Catalyst Conversations to shine light on your Path" CD set. There is so much I want to say and I am afraid it would take forever to articulate my feelings, but your CD's gave me hope and joy. They confirmed that I AM on the right track. Listening to your CD's was like lying on a couch and having you walk me through my life and the lives of others that are close to me. YOUR conversations spoke to me: 'You are on a Journey to healing; keep looking into the light.' I felt the voice of the Lord speak through you. I love the CD's - the best investment I've made in a long time. Thank you!"
~ Barbara Dean Franklin, BD FRANKLY SPEAKING, LLC, Global Communicator/Mentor


By Brother Steve | March 18, 2012
Proverbs 24:16 - For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.
Most of us are aware, if we do any type of work on computers, the ever-helpful and critically important "undo". Many times at my work, I have found myself selecting this option when I make mistakes, or if I want to go back and start closer to the beginning of a project. Some programs let you "undo" to the beginning of the project, and then there are some that only let you do it once. I've found myself selecting undo just to go back and do something that I know I could do a little better. In any case, this option is a favorite of mine!
If only life came with an "undo" option! I have found myself many times wanting to redo something I did that was foolish or embarrassing. Oftentimes, I have thought about what it would be like to go back to the start of my life and redo some things there as well. However, God did not give us this undo option - it is a man-made thing.
I'm thinking that God did not give us an undo option because we are to live with the choices we make and suffer consequences for our actions. Sin caused all this. If we lived in a world with no sin we would have no need to undo anything. Everything would work out right all the time without issue. I wish Adam and Eve could have went back and "undid" some things back in the garden!
Though God does not give us an "undo" option, he does give us a "mercy" and "grace" option. He also gives us the "get up and try again" option. He knows about the sin passed on to us through generations. Because of this, he added the "grace" option to your life menu. He also adds a "victory" and "forgiveness" option to help you overcome the sin or mistake.
We do have to live with our choices and consequences, but with all these options available, it makes life easier to deal with. God doesn't want you to live discouraged and disappointed, He wants you to get up and go on.
When you mess up and get down, don't let the devil kick you while you're down. Get up and try not to make the same mistake again and go on. Proverbs 24:16 "For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief."
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Welcome to Soul Streams LIVE Experiences + FREE Events
I’d like to invite you to walk in the way of wholeness with me this year as we explore what it looks like to create a whole new way forward. Click here for the complimentary Walking in the Way of Wholeness experience, which will also ensure you receive notifications about upcoming LIVE offerings and new Soul Streams journeys. Wishing you joy in the journey.
2017 SOUL STREAMS LIVE OFFERING / EVENTS
True Love and You • 2/14/17
WHAT IS LOVE? WHO YOU ARE + WHY YOU CAME TO BE
We are moving toward a more complete understanding of what Love is and it begins with who we are. “Now we know in part. Then we shall know fully, even as we are fully known.” In the video below, Dawn shares 1 Corinthians chapter 13, which you may read in full below the video. We explore the task of finding love without condition within and returning to the whole of who we are as love as a pathway to true freedom.
1 Corinthians, chapter 13 “the Love Chapter” is a treasured text from the Christian tradition. Hear again words that may be familiar to those whose lives have intersected with traditional Christianity. While the apostle Paul is much maligned for what he got wrong, there is a clear truth to be found in his words. His words are very resonant for me personally and I believe they ring true and have something to offer to us collectively.
Enjoy the video below, then consider read through the passage again, asking your soul to guide you to where you could embrace a higher vision of love in your life. Similar journeys exploring my two favorite treasured texts from the Christian tradition available for just $1: Gospel of John, Hebrews Whatever your faith tradition, I wish you great love and true love, the kind that begins with the whole of who you are.
- Am I sharing my soul gifts from a place of love? How might I begin with love today?
- When I give to others in my life, do I do so from a place of true love? How might I begin with love today?
- How can I bring love to the places I am envious, boastful, full of pride or self-seeking? Today how can I rejoice with truth?
- How will I trust, hope and persevere in my life and life’s work today?
- How have you seen in your own life that “love never fails”? How will you celebrate this truth today?
- Consider what it will feel like to “see face to face,” to know fully” even as you are fully known.
- Choose a way to express your gratitude to God today for all the ways faith, hope and love are present in your life and in our world.
- Share the love in whatever way you feel led to do so. You might choose one simple way to put true love into action, tell someone how their presence has been love in your life, or pass this Soul Streams LIVE event on to others. Above all else, love is who you are. It is why we have come to be.
1 Corinthians 13 Full Text
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.
For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love.
ATTUNED COLORING EXPERIENCE TO OPEN TO LOVE


What is your worship service like?
Our worship service is designed around music, a relevant Bible-based message about God and life, and a response to that message.
What time does the service end?
We are finished by 12:15p - although we are usually done closer to 12p.
What should I wear?
Most people who come dress like they're going out to a nice dinner, but there is no dress code. Wear what is comfortable to you.
Do you have programs for children and teens?
We love our kids and have excellent leaders who work hard to provide great programming for those from birth through high school.
- We have age appropriate Bible classes every Saturday morning at 9:30.
- Every Saturday (except for the fifth of the month) we have Bible Adventurers, which provides an age-appropriate spiritual experience for children 10 and under during the main worship service.
- On the second Saturday of the month, we have an afternoon children's program.
- We have an active teen group that meets every Saturday morning for Bible study and at least once per month for a fun activity (Six Flags, movie nights, escape rooms, etc.).
Where can I park?
While we have limited space in our small parking lot, there is usually plenty of street parking available.
Do I have to be a Christian to attend?
We welcome people of all backgrounds and beliefs systems. If you’re asking questions about God and want to become a person who is growing in love, compassion, and grace towards others, we would love to journey with you.


وائل جسار بدي شوفك كل يوم - YouTube
Guestbook Messages (1)
SieJim said on 08/03/15 3:20 PM
Beloved,Glory to God,hear the word of God.JESUS CHRIST speaking,what good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world,yet forfeits his soul? or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?(read-Matt-16-26..Math-19-16-26)A MAN COME UP TO JESUS AND ASKED,teacher what good thing must do to get eternal life? TRY TO ASK ?NO JESUS CHRIST,NO ETERNAL LIFE.but mark this,there will be terrible time in the last days.people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,boastful,pround,abusive,disobedent to their parents,ungrateful unholy without love, unforgiving,slanderous without self control,lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.having form of godliness but denying its power,having nothing to do with them.(read-2 Timo-3-1-5.)Maybe you are young and saying death is so far away! I have alot of time.don´t foget that GOD said,do not boast about tomorrow for you do not know what a day may bring forth(read-.PROV-27-1)Many your age have died.no doubt they also thought they had a long time to live but they are gone where heaven or hell? Maybe you are in your prime age,succeeding in business and enjoying your life. I´am asking U this question is this world all that you are living for?.Everybody is on a journey conscously or unconsciously in this world,towards eternity.This journey leads to two destinations that wlll never end and which cannot be changed when we arrive there.heaven and hell. A place of torment and place of everlasting joy(read-Mark-9-43-44,Rev-21-4,Rev-22-5)Have you ever asked Jesus to come in to UR life?or you are not sure you are save if your answer is no.Pray this prayer with sincerity and confidence.LORD JESUS,I come to you today.I am a sinner,I can NOT help myself,forgive me my sins.cleanse me with your blood,deliver me From sin and satan,to serve the living GOD.today,LORD I accept you as my LORD,And my personal savior.thank you JESUS,for saving me.There is joy in heaven over the repentance of one sinner.(read-luke-15-7-10....Rom-10-9-17)Your eternity with Christ Jesus is our concern.For more help ask Holy Spirit to lead you to any Bible church close to you.please reply or call +22891278809. I would like to pray with you and be your friend. God is mindful of you! (Psalms 8:4-5)Be blessed.Amen.
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Sermons at Calvary intend to connect our daily lives with God’s Word. The ancient words of the Bible might have been written thousands of years ago, but today, they remain, not only relevant, but influential to who we are today. By looking at the context of the writers of the Bible and our context today, we hope to find meaningful insight into God’s love in the world and how we get to be a part of it.
Sermons at Calvary hope to speak to the individual and to the community as a whole. As individuals, we come to worship to find hope, to heal, to challenge ourselves and deepen our beliefs, understanding, and education. And, as a community, we come to worship to learn how together we make up the Body of Christ, showing love to the world.
To view sermons in our YouTube virtual worship service, click below:
To read written copies of sermons see below:


SCORE International was in need of a medical/dental clinic in the Dominican Republic to minister to the needs of the Haitian's that work the sugar cane fields there. They do not have access to the Dominican system and up until now the medical missionaries visit the many remote camps to meet their medical needs but do not have a facility for things like proper dental work or surgery. The building is to be used for services that cannot easily be done at a remote site.
We arrived Saturday, unloaded our shipping container and prepared the jobsite to begin work Monday morning. Then Sunday morning we went to church in the town of San Pedro de Marco. This boy was selling coconuts outside the church.
I obviously had some time to kill Sunday afternoon so I took this coconut off the ground, gave him a face, and named him "Wilson"
We began work early Monday morning, laying up the block walls and setting the doors.
Much work was accomplished that day.
When CWE builds a church building, there are usually local church members that will help us with the building of the church building. This was to be a clinic, there was no congregation to pull help from so we hired a few Dominicans to help.
Here in the red shirt is Maximo. Maximo had never heard the good news that Jesus Christ had died for him. Through an interperator Ray explained and Maximo, and his friend chose to ask Christ to save them and forgive them of their sins.
After we finished work that day, we had some free time, so I made a new friend with our security guard and we posed for some pictures.
That night was also JW Peavy's 73rd birthday so the ladies gave him a piece of cake with a spoon as a make shift candle.
and of course he had to act like he was blowing out the candle.
As we usually do, we crowned our royalty for the week. This is Steve, he is a plumber from Michigan.
Maximo showed up for work Wednesday morning with a big smile and a new bible. Someone asked him if he was going to read it. His reply was "Necesario!"
Wednesday was hot, we had been working hard and sometimes we just had to rest.
In the evening we would play card games and dominoes.
This is Luke "Bandana Tan" Pierson.
Jen "Jenerator" Brooks.
Debi "the Claw" Randall
Jeff "no nickname" Randall
and me, Kevin "0045" Kesler
The five of us played some vicious games of spoons, you may laugh but the Claw earned her nickname playing spoons. Luke has marks on his hands to show for prove of it. I have enjoyed every CWE trip I've been on in a different way but have to say that I had more fun on this trip than any other before.
It hadn't rained all week which was good, you can't lay block in the rain. About 15 minutes after the last block was layed the rain started.
It was off and on the rest of the day. All we had to do was finish the plumbing and run some electricity. The rain actually made the temperature a little more bearable and we were able to finish our portion of the project right on schedule.
That night we went to a SCORE basketball game in Santo Domingo. The Dominican national team played a US team from various colleges throughout the US.
Friday we drove over to the eastern part of the island to visit a few of the villages in the sugar cane fields.
These are the people that will be served by the building we are building.
Our driver that day was Kiko. His family lived in a town that we drove through on the way back and he wanted to stop off and see his parents for a few minutes. He told us of an orphanage in town and we decided to check it out.
There were about 24 of us on the bus, I was probably about the 15th one to enter the gate. Nothing prepared me for what I was about to see.
As I entered, each of the team that entered before me had at least one or two orphans attached to them. This little girl below grabbed me by the hand and led me to the swing set.
I pushed her on the swing for a little while and then I just went looking around.
Before we left the orphanage, we asked the woman running it how she would like us to pray for her. I am under the impression that she didn't really know who we were or what we do, just that we showed up on a SCORE bus and Kiko had brought us. Her answer was that we pray that God would provide a church building beyond the hole in the wall so the kids could attend church. Now if that is not a divine appointment, I don't know what is, We were all very touched by the great behavior of the kids. All they wanted was a little love, they didn't ask for anything. I hope we do go back to this place and build a church for them.
We left the orphanage, Kiko spent a couple of minutes with his parents and we headed back to where we were staying.
We knew the beach had to be close but never had time to see it so a group of us went exploring until we found it.
We found some street artists painting.
And eventually found the beach.
After finding the beach, we headed back, ate dinner and then left for the airport at about 5:30 am. All I can say is that I'm glad I can be a part of this.