Today we’re continuing our October discussion series Growing Together.Our goal is to grow together as families, grow together as Christ followers and to grow together as a community.
Last week we discussed that just like plants we need some basic elements in order to grow Soil, Seed, Water, and Light. We focused on Soil how we need a good foundation to grow from and a good environment to support our growth.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God;
2 this one was in the beginning with God;
3 all things through him did happen, and without him happened not even one thing that hath happened.
4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men,
5 and the light in the darkness did shine, and the darkness did not perceive it.
6 There came a man — having been sent from God — whose name [is] John,
7 this one came for testimony, that he might testify about the Light, that all might believe through him;
8 that one was not the Light, but — that he might testify about the Light.
When we see that word WORD we think of the bible.
But in the original aramaic the language that Jesus spoke word translates to Melta, which means source, spark or consciousness.
Melta refers to the source of the word the being that started it all
So in the beginning you have God sowing the seeds of creation, the sowing the seed of the Word of God to Moses and Israel and then sowing the seed of His only begotten Son Jesus. Why?
Here the coolest thing of all. All of this was done for one reason. To Glorify God so that all things point to God the Melta, the source.
So when we enjoy the apple we acknowledge God, Creator of all things.
For us to grow we need the good soil, a good environment.
We also need the good seed, source, God on the inside of us, His Spirit and His Word. This will be the spark the starts us growing into what He’s designed us to be.
Each tiny little seed contains all of the DNA of whatever it’s going to grow into, all the plans/blue prints are stored in the tiny seeds. So if a seed is placed in the right environment and given the things it needs it will thrive and grow into what it was designed to be.
In Jesus’s explanation of the parable of the Sower from Last week we learn that the seed is the Word of God.
The seed is the Word of God.


We are to be followers of the Lord and we’re to never judge unfairly. Above all, we should all turn away from sinful practices, behaviors and pray for peace. Here are seven Bible verses to restore your faith in justice, remind you of how God values it and why you should too. We must give all our evil and. What Does The Bible Say About Fear? What Does The Bible Say About Fake Christians? 2 Thessalonians 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 4. Luke 12:47-48 And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. All that we do should be based on bible principle, and … 20. 5. 20. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 15 Scriptures For Get Well Soon Cards, What Does The Bible Say About Trusting God? Seven times? 25.) When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. O God who avenges, shine forth. But answer the evil with kindness and generosity. 20 Reasons To Obey The Lord
22. Self-vengeance has no place in the Christian life. 41. 23. What Does The Bible Say About Mental Health? What Does The Bible Say About Forgiveness? When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers. II, p. But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, slashing off his ear. Matthew 18:21-22 Then Peter came to him and asked, “. In the past, God constantly warned His people on seeking revenge after suffering in someone's hands. Matthew 26:49-52 So Judas came straight to Jesus. What Does The Bible Say About Mental Health? Romans 12:17-21 Repay no one evil for evil. Here are 5 verses from the Bible about Mercy & Justice: 1. Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Arise, O judge of the earth. Justice is mentioned frequently throughout the Bible as God calls us to live in truth and righteousness. Revenge = Punishment for harms committed against an individual or group of … He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone.
Explore Bible Verses, Quotes, Scriptures, Passages about Justice, God’s Justice, Mercy and Compassion From The Bible. Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on a wound, is one who sings songs to a heavy heart. Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!” Wait for the LORD, and he will avenge you. What Does The Bible Say About Forgiveness? Paul gives a great explanation on it in Romans 12:14-21 which says, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. As Christians, we are asked to take on the Biblical view of justice by adopting a Christlike view of right and wrong. In the Scriptures the Lord says, "I am the one to take revenge and pay them back." 15 Scriptures To Help With Hopelessness
23. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs. 15 Scriptures To Help With Hopelessness
“Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. 25. 15 Scriptures For Get Well Soon Cards, What Does The Bible Say About Fear? Dear friends, don't try to get even. 22 Encouraging Verses For A Bad Day
“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Nov 26, 2019 - Bible Verses About Revenge - The Bible is very clear on our role with seeking revenge. What Does The Bible Say About Haters? Bible Verses About Justice Thursday, March 28, ... Bible verses about social justice bible verses related to social justice from the king james version kjv by relevance sort by book order. Romans 12:19. 15 Scriptures For Get Well Soon Cards, What Does The Bible Say About God's Love? 20. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. 15 Scriptures To Help With Hopelessness
What Does The Bible Say About Fear? On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly. What Does The Bible Say About Mental Health? Do good to those who hate you. What Does The Bible Say About Homosexuality? Never let your thirst for justice turn into a quest for revenge. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. In Romans 12:19, God tells us to never take revenge and to leave it to the Lord. A collection of various Bible Verses to restore your faith in justice, tells... Save my name, email, and you must follow in his steps Key component to the word of.! Reward you justice to those who have wronged them curse you, live peaceably with.. Things honest in the sight of all freedom that God will Ever Fail. ”, give him food eat. 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The Curse of Strahd
The soil of the grave lies light in Barovia and for those who are turned by the Devil Strahd, the soil does not grace them at all, this is an elemental truth for the lands of mist. Father Danovich knew this and accepted it, he had praised the morning lord to the full extent of his ability for all his years and in return had secured his church on hallowed ground. From his position of security he served the town helping to bring light to the dark shroud in which Barovia resided.
Light came into his life seventeen years ago when his son Dmitry was born. Full of life and vigor, Dmitry stood out from the majority of Barovian citizens but a wanderlust look in his eye was cause for concern in father Danovich. In Barovia you were born and in Borovia you will die, traveling will only lead a person to a quick death and a shallow grave.
Father Danovich tried to lead his son to a life of faith, to find comfort in the morning lord but his efforts were in vain.One year ago, when the blustery Wizard marched through to confront the Devil Strahd, Demitri went with him.
The march was doomed and the few who returned were forever changed but none more than Demitri; the Devil Strahd had corrupted him, had changed him.
Father Danovich tried all he could to restore his son. Demitri was not seen after his return but the blood curdling cries of a man in agony could be heard coming from the church during the night over the past year and the church, which had once been a shining beacon, fell into disrepair, its land lying fallow.
Donovich became a broken man, who spent all his waking hours in prayer until his voice ran hoarse, his hollow skin clung desperately to his bones, and his throat bled.
This is how the heroes found him as they needed him to lead the burial service for the burgermeister.
In the graveyard, he droned through the service, his heart not in his words he drew out every line until it was frayed. His strained drawn out delivery left them exposed when the Devil Strahd and his forces attacked the graveyard.
In the fray, Strahd’s influence wormed into Modron’s mind, in Modron’s eyes Danovich had defied his sovereign and the punishment was death. His arrow struck the father in his lung, as the blood poured out from him so too did the light fade from Barovia.


Over 2000 food items donated to
local pantry by LKVCS students
Students from the Little Kanawha Valley Christian School, delivered over 2000 items to the First Baptist Calhoun Food Pantry yesterday. "It is a blessing to all involved when the youth learn to care about others in their community," said the Pantry's co-director Donna Umstead.
Umstead said, "We also need to thank our local Foodland for a full pallet of vegetables that arrived just in time for the holiday. 25 turkeys also arrived at the pantry this week from an anonymous donor. Whoever you are, we greatly appreciate receiving them."
"Thank you to all the individuals and churches that have donated food and money to help the pantry serve citizens of Calhoun County," said Umstead.
Happy Thanksgiving and God Bless all of you.
The First Baptist Calhoun County Food Pantry is a non-profit pantry operated by co-directors Donna Umstead and Lewis Craddock. The pantry is supported by the churches of Calhoun County and individual donations.
Donations may be sent to:
First Baptist Calhoun County Food Pantry
P.O. Box 237
Grantsville, WV 26147


The Attributes of God
Part iv: Whence God? Talking about God
Part iv: Whence God? Talking about God
Related posts: Immutable, Omnipresence ; Omniscience ; Omniscience and divine Learning ; Godhead: God or Gods?
In 1844 Joseph Smith taught,
God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!…I say, if you were to see him today, you would see him like a man in form—like yourselves in all the person, image, and very form as a man; for Adam was created in the very fashion, image and likeness of God. (King Follett Discourse, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith)
This was emphasized by president Lorenzo Snow (5th president of the church; d. 1901), “the Spirit of God fell upon me to a marked extent, and the Lord revealed to me, just as plainly as the sun at noon-day, this principle, which I put in a couplet: ‘As man now is, God once was; As God now is, man may be’” (The Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, edited by Clyde J. Williams, p. 2). That couplet is widely recognized by Mormons. Elder N. Eldon Tanner (Apostle; d. 1982 ) said, “We believe also that ‘as man now is, God once was: As God now is, man may be’…Therefore, man should strive all his days to increase his intelligence and learn all the truths he can” (“Ye Shall Know the Truth,” Ensign, May 1978). Consequently, even Mormons who hold a more traditional view of omniscience tend to believe that God gained his knowledge of past, present, and future; as opposed to orthodox omniscience where God knows all things timelessly and independent of causation.
The following articles from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism quote President Snow’s couplet: Theogony ; Christology ; God the Father ; Godhood ; Snow, Lorenzo ; Doctrine: LDS Doctrine Compared With Other Christian Doctrines.
How Mormons talk about God
As I mentioned in my previous post, most Mormons believe that God knows all things; they believe in traditional omniscience. Joseph Fielding Smith (b. 1876; became 10th president of the church in 1970; d. 1972) said, “I believe that God knows all things and that his understanding is perfect…why should we say that his knowledge is limited and that hidden law and truths abound which he has not discovered. Who made those laws and where do they come from?” (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, p. 8). The Lectures on Faith (included in the Doctrine and Covenants until 1921) reads, “Without the knowledge of all things God would not be able to save any portion of his creatures…if it were not for the idea existing in the minds of men that God had all knowledge it would be impossible for them to exercise faith in him” (4:11). Yet Brigham Young said, “[it has been said that] God can progress no further in knowledge and power; but the God that I serve is progressing eternally” (JD, 11: 286 – 287). And Wilford Woodruff (as an Apostle) said, “God Himself is increasing and progressing in knowledge, power, and dominion, and will do so, worlds without end” (JD, 6:120). George Q. Cannon (Apostle; d. 1901) said, “There is progress for our Father and for our Lord Jesus…It is endless progress, progressing from one degree of knowledge to another degree” (Gospel Truth: Discourses and Writings of President George Q. Cannon, p. 92). John A. Widstoe (Apostle; d. 1952) said, “If the great law of progression is accepted, God must have been engaged, and must now be engaged in progressive development” (A Rational Theology, p. 30-31).
The interpretation of these passages hinges upon the meaning of progression.
Within Mormonism there are principally two views of progression. Both hold that God has progressed to where he is now. The minority view holds that God is now progressing in knowledge and increasing in dominion. The other view, the neo-orthodox view, holds that God has progressed to ultimate perfection and knows all things past, present, and future. His increase in dominion is purely quantitative: he creates new worlds and his children become exalted, and this for all eternity. Elder Bruce R. McConkie (Apostle; d. 1981) taught this view: “There are those who say that God is progressing knowledge and is learning new truths. This is false—utterly, totally, and completely. There is not one sliver of truth in it…God progresses in the sense that his kingdoms increase and his dominions multiply—not in the sense that he learns new truths and discovers new laws. God is not a student” (“The Seven Deadly Heresies,” June 1, 1980, BYU Speeches).
Can there be harmony between these apparently divergent views? Sterling McMurrin suggested that we simply sermonize classically and theologize non-classically: “The word ‘finite’ stirs nothing in the soul of the worshipper,” he wrote in the Theological Foundations of the Mormon Religion, “But ‘infinite,’ ‘omnipotent,’ and ‘omniscient’ are words made to order for the preacher…So Mormon theological writing and sermonizing are more often than not replete with vocabulary of absolutism” (p. 35). It’s true in any religion that preachers sometimes preach one way and theologize another. But there is another view that rests on the idea of spheres of existence that synthesizes the ideas of perfection and progression. Brigham Young taught, “[We may become] as perfect in our sphere as God and Angels are in theirs, but the greatest intelligence in existence can continually ascend to greater heights of perfection” (JD 1:93). That statement implies that perfection can be relative to a given sphere. So perfect knowledge means knowing all there is to know and perfection means as perfect as one can be in a given sphere of existence. LDS scholar and essayist Eugene England has made use of this concept in an attempt find harmony between these two views of God. He writes,
My simple thesis here is that, in fact, these statements are not contradictory. These Church leaders were using two different, but complementary, ways of talking about God based on two different aspects of the Mormon understanding of God, both of which, I believe, are essential to our theology and must be maintained. With the help of a basic concept—that of different, progressive spheres of development and of possible perfection within each sphere—it is possible to believe both in God’s perfection of knowledge and power in relation to our sphere and in his progression in these attributes in his own and higher spheres. (“Perfection and Progression: Two Complementary Ways to Talk about God,” BYU Studies, vol. 29, no. 3.)
James R. Harris, Professor of Ancient Scripture at BYU, has adopted a view that God does know all things past present and future.
Statement about the foreknowledge of God are characteristically associated with reference to the “beginning and the end,” i.e., that the scope of God’s knowledge spans all of man’s experience (premortal, mortal, post-mortal, and immortal) and that man’s end (i.e., his final condition as an individual) was known by God, “from the beginning”…
The scope of God's foreknowledge would, at the least, encompass that period of man's existence cradled between the “beginning and the end”…
Eternal progression, like eternal punishment and eternal life, may represent a quality of experience and not exclusively a duration of experience…
For God there is no floundering, no experimentation, no misapplication of truth, for all things, past, present, and future are present with him… (“Eternal Progression and the Foreknowledge of God,” BYU Studies, vol. 8, no. 1)
Harris’s thesis is that God knows at least everything about this sphere of existence, past, present, and future, from its beginning to its end, as well as all things generally. I believe England is saying that God is omnipotent and omniscient in this sphere of existence; God can do everything that is possible to do in this sphere and knows everything about it. Only after its “end” does God progress to a higher sphere.
I haven’t thought through these arguments completely; the idea of spheres of existence seems to work. On the other hand I’m not bothered that within Mormonism there are divergent schools of thought about the attributes of God. So I don’t feel like harmonizing these different views is highly important. We have no equivalent to the Athanasian Creed which says that unless one firmly believes in the Trinity “he cannot be saved.” Mormonism has never required adherents to believe in a prescribed conception of God. (See Four Important Creeds, Mormonism and the Creeds of Christendom.)
 Recent scholarship suggests the Lectures on Faith were written by Sidney Rigdon. They were removed from the Doctrine and Covenants because “they were never presented to nor accepted by the Church as being otherwise than theological lectures or lessons” (“Lectures on Faith,” Encyclopedia of Mormonism).
 The beliefs necessary to becoming a Mormon can be found in the baptismal interview. These questions are adapted to the individual’s circumstances and age. These interview questions outline the basic beliefs necessary to being baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
1. Do you believe that God is our Eternal Father? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Savior and Redeemer of the world?
2. Do you believe the Church and gospel of Jesus Christ have been restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith? Do you believe that [current Church President] is a prophet of God? What does this mean to you?
3. What does it mean to you to repent? Do you feel that you have repented of your past transgressions?
4. Have you ever committed a serious crime? If so, are you now on probation or parole? Have you ever participated in an abortion? a homosexual relationship?
5. You have been taught that membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints includes living gospel standards. What do you understand of the following standards? Are you willing to obey them?
a. The law of chastity, which prohibits any sexual relationship outside the bond of a legal marriage between a man and a woman.
b. The law of tithing.
c. The Word of Wisdom
d. The Sabbath day, including partaking of the sacrament weekly and rendering service to fellow members.
6. When you are baptized, you covenant with God that you are willing to take upon yourself the name of Christ and keep His commandments throughout your life. Are you ready to make this covenant and strive to be faithful to it?
(From Preach My Gospel, p. 206)


On one of the various Yahoo groups I am on, someone provided a link to a podcast of a sermon from their church (part of it dealt with not succumbing to the animal rights agenda but also treating animals ethically and with kindness). The sermon was titled "What Would Jesus Drive". Another list member responded with the following which gave me the biggest smile I have had in a while:
I am thinking that Jesus would drive the first car mentioned in the bible, which would be a Plymouth. For it says in Genesis that the Lord drove Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden in a Fury.
Now there's some wit!


Saturday, October 1st, The Church of St. Mary, located at 8th and Spring Streets, will host its Family Festival from 10:00am to 3:00pm There will be a variety of food booths, children’s games, and fun for the entire family!
Please join us before, during and after the Harvest Homecoming Parade!
For more information, please contact Fr. Thomas Merrill at (812) 944-0417, ext. 19.
Hosted by St. Mary of the Annunciation Catholic Parish.


A very contentious project, initiated and being pushed by a very controversial person, got a very cool reception last night at a public hearing at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, 52nd and Troost.
Three years after it was broached, this project — a proposed four-story apartment building aimed at Catholic students attending Rockhurst College and the University of Missouri-Kansas City — is coming together and moving very close to review by the City Plan Commission and the City Council.
A scaled-down plan will be submitted to the city Friday, with a hearing before the City Plan Commission to be held as soon as March 17. (The Plan Commission, city residents who are appointed to their posts, is an advisory board. The 13-member City Council has the final say.)
What has made this project extremely controversial and brimming with drama is that its main proponent is none other than lightning-rod bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph — Robert Finn, the only U.S. Bishop convicted in the long-running clergy sex-abuse scandal.
In the eyes of many, the project is as tenuous as Finn’s hold on his job.
Finn did not attend the hearing but sent three representatives, including diocesan chancellor Rev. Ken Riley.
Also on hand was an attorney representing the diocese and a top official with the construction firm that would build the 85-unit facility, which would consist primarily of two- three- and four-bedroom suites. (The building would have 237 beds — each tenant would have his or her own bedroom, and the developer says it would need about 213 students, to break even.)
About 125 people attended the hearing, held in the sanctuary of the fish-shaped church.
During the two-hour meeting, people in the pews asked a variety of questions, including:
What would happen if the project proceeds and later failed because it didn’t appeal to enough prospective tenants? (Answer: The diocese would be on the hook for at least “some” of the financing.)
Who would monitor student conduct? (Answer: The property manager.)
Would the parish be guaranteed that it could use the former school gym — a separate building that is scheduled to be converted to conference space — as its parish hall? (Answer: Yes, but it could be used for tenant meetings, too.)
Now, here’s the backdrop, where the spaghetti gets even more rubbery.
In some ways, this would seem to be an easy notch in the belt for the diocese. The diocese owns the church property, including the former school building that would be razed to make way for the apartment building. At four stories, the building would not be as tall as the church, so neighbors wouldn’t have to worry about a skyscraper on Troost. And something needs to be done with the school building, which was closed about eight years ago as the parish elementary school.
However, strong undercurrents are at work here, and the vast majority of parishioners and area residents appear to be adamantly opposed.
First, while the diocese owns the church and all the grounds, this is the only parish in the diocese that is run by Jesuit priests, who do not answer directly to the diocese. They answer to the Jesuit hierarchy. Priests at St. Francis Xavier are not assigned and reassigned by the bishop, as is the case with all other 95 or so parishes in the diocese; instead they are assigned by the Jesuit “provincial” in St. Louis.
By dint of its Jesuit connection, St. Francis Xavier appeals to a very independent breed of Catholics. In general, parishioners are antagonistic to Bishop Finn; they do not kowtow to his conservative beliefs, such as his strident opposition to abortion, and they don’t like it when the bishop hands down arbitrary directives. Several years ago, for example, he put a stop to a former pastor’s egalitarian custom of coming down from the altar and walking up and down the aisles shaking hands with people during the “Kiss of Peace” after the “Our Father.” (Parishioners responded by filing up the steps to the altar and shaking hands with the pastor in his “aerie,” where Finn thought he should remain to maintain the line between clergy and “the faithful.”)
Second, some opponents of the project — including a significant number of the influential 49-63 Neighborhood Coalition members — are extremely worried that the project will be a bust. Many parishioners, especially, believe that the apartment will be marketed primarily to conservative Catholics of Finn’s ilk. And they wonder if there will be enough of that type of students to make the project successful. If it flops, they fear, the neighborhood and the diocese would be stuck with a white elephant. They also fear that this already-hard-strapped diocese could tumble deeper into financial distress and end up forcing the diocese to cut diocesan jobs and/or pensions.
The third and strongest undercurrent working against the project is that it is creeping ahead in the long shadow of Bishop Finn’s criminal record. As noted above, Finn is the only American bishop to have been convicted of a crime in connection with the priest sexual abuse scandal that has tarnished and enervated the Catholic Church worldwide for about three decades.
Finn, of course, was convicted on a misdemeanor charge of failing to report child sexual abuse in the case where former priest Shawn Ratigan (who’s now doing 50 years in prison) took hundreds of “upskirt” photos of young girls at his Northland parish.
Lurking above and around the student-housing controversy, like oppressive humidity on a deep summer’s day, is the fact that it seems likely Finn will no longer be the bishop within a matter of weeks or months. Pope Francis has been reviewing the case and sent a Canadian archbishop here last fall to investigate the issue of Finn’s leadership. (Personally, I think Finn’s hourglass is down to its last few grains of sand.)
As one parishioner, former KC Star reporter Kevin Collison, pointedly noted at tonight’s hearing, the housing project is “really only one man’s vision.”
Collison didn’t say this, but I suspect he and many other opponents are wondering what would happen if Finn’s successor didn’t take kindly to the project…Suppose he, the successor, thought the $15 to $16 million going into the project could be spent better elsewhere. But once plans are approved, papers signed, revenue bonds issued and dirt turned — opponents are wondering — could the project be halted?
The distinct fear is the project could go down as Finn’s final folly.
Here are some of the facts and figures about the proposal:
:: Name of the proposed building — Bellarmino Catholic Center, named after Italian Jesuit cardinal St. Robert Bellarmine, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
:: Developer — Domus Development of Dallas. According to its website, Domus “has spent the past ten years specifically concentrating on student housing, both university-owned and privately-owned, for the largest student living developers in the country.”
:: Contractor — Tri-North Builders, with headquarters outside Madison, Wisconsin. Tri-North is a 34-year-old firm with offices in several cities, including Dallas. Steve Harms, Tri-North’s director of pre-construction services, was the main presenter at last night’s meeting.
:: Estimated price tag: $15 million to $16 million.
:: Size — four stories containing 85 units and 237 bedrooms.
:: Rent prices — $700 to $1,200 per student, depending on unit type.
Note: Patty and I were members of St. Francis Xavier (I call it the Catholic church of last resort) for several years, until we left in the late 2000s. We loved the community, but we could no longer take the Catholic Church’s policies, especially on married priests (forget it) and women priests (don’t even think about it)…In addition, Bishop Finn’s meddling and myopic management style was suffocating. Later, like everyone else, we saw his sinister side.


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Led by Fr. Michael Thorne Jarrett
ConfessionThe confession is said privately. The audio file begins after confession.
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.
A brief silence is kept
Grant your faithful people, merciful Lord, pardon and peace; that we may be cleansed from all our sins, and serve you with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O = Officiant
A = All
|Lord, open our lips.
|And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
|O God, make speed to save us.
|O Lord, make haste to help us.
|Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
|Praise the Lord.
|The Lord’s Name be praised.
|Everyone shall join in the following:
Psalm 95:1-7; 96:9,13
O come, let us sing to the Lord;*
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving*
and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God,*
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the caverns of the earth,*
and the heights of the hills are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,*
and his hands have molded the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,*
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For he is our God,*
and we are the people of his pasture
and the sheep of his hand.
Today, if you hear his voice,*
do not harden your heart as in the rebellion.
O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;*
let the whole earth stand in awe of him.
For he comes, for he comes to judge the earth*
and with righteousness to judge the world
and the peoples in his faithfulness.
The appointed Psalm is read together
After the Psalm, the Officiant begins
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
A reading of the appointed lessons
10 As soon as Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had captured Ai and had devoted it to destruction, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, 2 he feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were warriors. 3 So Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, 4 “Come up to me and help me, and let us strike Gibeon. For it has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel.” 5 Then the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered their forces and went up with all their armies and encamped against Gibeon and made war against it.
6 And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, “Do not relax your hand from your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country are gathered against us.” 7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. 8 And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you.” 9 So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal. 10 And the LORD threw them into a panic before Israel, who struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11 And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon, the LORD threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.
12 At that time Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,
“Sun, stand still at Gibeon,
and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”
13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,
until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.
Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. 14 There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD heeded the voice of a man, for the LORD fought for Israel.
15 So Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
16 These five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah. 17 And it was told to Joshua, “The five kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah.” 18 And Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave and set men by it to guard them, 19 but do not stay there yourselves. Pursue your enemies; attack their rear guard. Do not let them enter their cities, for the LORD your God has given them into your hand.” 20 When Joshua and the sons of Israel had finished striking them with a great blow until they were wiped out, and when the remnant that remained of them had entered into the fortified cities, 21 then all the people returned safe to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. Not a man moved his tongue against any of the people of Israel.
22 Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me from the cave.” 23 And they did so, and brought those five kings out to him from the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. 24 And when they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come near; put your feet on the necks of these kings.” Then they came near and put their feet on their necks. 25 And Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the LORD will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.” 26 And afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he hanged them on five trees. And they hung on the trees until evening. 27 But at the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and they set large stones against the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day.
28 As for Makkedah, Joshua captured it on that day and struck it, and its king, with the edge of the sword. He devoted to destruction every person in it; he left none remaining. And he did to the king of Makkedah just as he had done to the king of Jericho.ESV
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
A brief silence is kept after the reading.
Please pause the service if you would like more time.
A Song to the Lamb
Revelation 4:11; 5:9-10, 13
Splendor and honor and kingly power*
are yours by right, O Lord our God,
For you created everything that is,*
and by your will they were created and have their being;
And yours by right, O Lamb that was slain,*
for with your blood you have redeemed for God,
From every family, language, people, and nation,*
a kingdom of priests to serve our God.
And so, to him who sits upon the throne,*
and to Christ the Lamb,
Be worship and praise, dominion and splendor,*
for ever and for evermore.
18 While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples. 20 And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, 21 for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” 22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. 23 And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24 he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. 25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went through all that district.
27 And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” 28 When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.” 31 But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.
32 As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him. 33 And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” 34 But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”
35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
10 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. 2 The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
A brief silence is kept after the reading.
I believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father,
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
I acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
I look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
|The Lord be with you
|And with your spirit.
|Let us pray.
|Lord, have mercy
|Christ, have mercy
|Lord, have mercy
|Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
|God of all creation, full of love and abounding in mercy;
|May the whole earth be filled with your glory.
|Lord, bless and guide all ministers of your church;
|Clothe them in righteousness and grant them wisdom.
|Direct the leaders of our nation;
|That they may act in accordance with your kingdom.
|Enlarge our own hearts, O Lord,
|To love the things that you love
|May we proclaim your light
|In every place where there is darkness.
|May we proclaim your Holy Name
|In every aspect of our lives.
|Create in us clean hearts, O God;
|And renew a right spirit within us.
|Grant us your peace;
|For only in you can we live in safety.
|We pray for those in sickness, grief, persecution, bondage, fear, or loneliness.
|Lord, have mercy.
|Let us offer our own prayers.
|(a brief pause to silently offer our own prayers)
|Suffrages from The Trinity Mission Daily Prayers for Individuals & Families
|Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
|Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.
|Almighty God, Father of all mercies,
we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks
for all your goodness and loving-kindness
to us and to all whom you have made.
We bless you for our creation, preservation,
and all the blessings of this life;
but above all for your immeasurable love
in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;
for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies,
that with truly thankful hearts
we may show forth your praise,
not only with our lips, but in our lives,
by giving up our selves to your service,
and by walking before you
in holiness and righteousness all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.
|Let us bless the Lord.
|Thanks be to God.
|The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen.
2 Corinthians 13:14


Recently I have been thinking about how much our hearts become the compass or core from where everything flows out from. Whether we choose to listen to our hearts or not it is the very thing that steers our decisions, determines our choices and influences the relationships around us. It says in proverbs, for as he thinks in his heart, so is he. I guess it’s like a mirror of who we really are. Often I find myself having external influences that determine what flows out. Whether it would be fear or the choice to disguise who I really am. As part of a community of worshippers at freedom church We have been challenged recently to look at our hearts and make the decision to keep our hearts palpable and open. As a worship leader and someone who longs to chase after a God I know it is something really important in order to lead others while I’m allowing my heart to be open and led by the father. The story of David is a great picture of someone who allowed his heart to be open and soft before God. In doing so he was able to lead a nation, fight Giants and more importantly have a close relationship with God.


I did wear green on Saturday to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and thought it would be a great motivation for this week.
St. Patrick practiced against all odds, being beaten and harassed to convert the Irish to Christianity. His life was a hard one, but he persevered. No matter how hard life seems to get this week, think of others before us that didn’t have quite an easy life either – from the Salem witches to Jesus Christ. God can only give you what you can handle, so know that you will make it through and see better days. May the Luck o’ the Irish be with you this week!
Great information on St. Patrick’s Day – Click Here


|Poplegenda Pangeran mati mendadak tanggal |
21 April hanya 57 tahun di rumah di Paisley Park,
Minnesota . Princella ada anak-anak atau
hidup orang tua atau jäljiltään nya belum ditemukan wasiat.
tiistai 3. toukokuuta 2016
perjantai 29. huhtikuuta 2016
torstai 28. huhtikuuta 2016
keskiviikko 27. huhtikuuta 2016
At that time, sheep farmers were seen as low or little value by other people. The sheep that they bred would have probably been used as sacrifice animals in the temple in near-by Jerusalem.
Being curious as to what the angels meant, they went down into Bethlehem, maybe leaving a shepherd or two behind to keep guard on the sheep. The shepherds probably found Joseph, Mary and Jesus with the help of local women, running errands in the busy town, that had heard of the birth of a new baby. When they had found and told Mary and Joseph what had happened to them, it says that 'The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.' The people they told probably weren't just the people they saw on the way back to hills, but friends and relatives in Bethlehem and Jerusalem and the people they met in the temple when they took their sheep to be sold.
And an angel of the Lord stood by them [He stood upon the earth at their side, and did not float above them in the heavens, as he is usually pictured. His standing upon the earth shows a fuller fellowship and sympathy with men--comp.
We can trust that God had a specific purpose for this shepherd audience, and the work they performed suggests the reason. These men who watched the sheep meant for the slaughter received a divine message about the ultimate Lamb who would take away the sins of the world through His death and resurrection.
The lack of money precludes no one from spiritual privileges. The things of God's kingdom are often hidden from the great and noble and revealed to the poor. The busy labor of the hands need not prevent someone from being favored with special visit from God. Moses was keeping sheep, Gideon was threshing wheat, Elisha was ploughing, when they were each honored by direct calls and revelations from God. Let us resist the suggestion of Satan that religion is not for the working man. The weak of the world are often called before the mighty. The last are often first, and the first last.
God chose a stable so no innkeeper could boast, "He chose the comfort of my inn!" God chose a manger so that no wood worker could boast, "He chose the craftsmanship of my bed!"
The number of shepherds shown varies also, though three is typical in the West; one or more dogs may be included


Project 5 2 was started out of our garage in 2008, with a few loaves of bread and a few donated coats. It has truly been a God story. When we started to share with area ministries and families, we noticed a multiplication of product as well as surplus, that forced us to keep expanding the territory and ministries we were serving. God is a relational God, and relationships have continued to grow as product has increased. We are truly thankful for His provision, and the people who God has put in our path over the years. We are a family who lives by faith, we are a family that truly loves Jesus and we are a family who is a testament that God’s Word is true and relevant today. Project 5 2 is a 501c3 distributor of food, clothing and supplies to those in need not only in the Cincinnati tri-state area, but has grown to include some of the poorest counties in the U.S. within the Appalachian regions of Eastern KY, WV, VA and TN. Project 5 2 can be a “revival tool” in the hands of any pastor or business person desperate for community transformation. This ministry can be a trumpet call to those who have ears and are willing to take the message of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth.
How does it all work?
It is truly the Gospel coming alive. See the account of Jesus’ feeding of the 5000 in the 4 gospels. (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6: 31-44; Luke 9: 12 -17; John 6: 1-14). To sum it up, if you pray and fast with a pure heart (Isaiah 58 ) and as you feed God’s needy ( Matthew 25), God will assure us of opportunities to disciple (Matthew 28). And when we begin to share resources (Acts 2/4) across denominational lines as a united Church (John 17) and take the gospel and love of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 13) to the streets, people will see Jesus (John 3:16).
Project 5 2 Overview
Project 5 2 is an equipping ministry; equipping others in need with tangible gifts, service, prayer and discipleship. Our desire is to form alliances with Kingdom minded individuals, groups, churches, businesses and even cities who understand Kingdom principles and are desperate for revival and transformation in their regions. It is our heart’s desire is to see revival and transformation in the United States and around the world. We understand it will take a great move of God’s Holy Spirit but we want to be obedient to what God has commanded in his Word. We have recently shipped Bibles to Liberia, Guatemala and Mozambique with prayer that God will use it all, including us, to start Holy Spirit fires in dark regions.


My goal is the help people understand their biblical identity and its impact on their lives.
This resource is designed to accompany Tree of Lies and provide more depth to the material. The questions in this guide will help you to develop awareness of your identity, and develop a mindset and disciplines that will help you surrender to God and grow as a disciple.
It is perfect for use in personal journaling, guiding a devotional time with your spouse, or as a discussion guide for a small group. Please feel free to share freely.


We just returned from an amazing trip to LaCruz, Costa Rica and I have to thank all of our customers from the bottom of my heart. None of this would be possible without your loyal support and I am truly honored and humbled to be a part of this mission!
After a 12 hour day of traveling through airports, our team landed in Liberia, Costa Rica and hopped on a bus for the final 2 hour push. When we arrived at Iglesia Biblica (The church we have partnered with to distribute food) we met with Pastor Gerardo and some his staff to discuss the week's plans. Then, we hit the sack.....exhausted from a 14 hour day of travel.
Day 1 in LaCruz - We woke up bright and early and hit the streets with bags of food and other hygiene items. We delivered them to families that Pastor Gerardo and his staff identified as "in need". It was awesome to integrate with the local culture. Many people invited us into their homes so we could meet their families and pray with them. The Costa Rican culture is so loving and welcoming and they made us feel right at home. As we left each home we invited them to the "EPIC FEEDING NIGHT" that would take place on Wednesday. We used delivering food as a way to stir up the neighborhoods and invite people to the big event on Wednesday.
Walking through the streets of LaCruz was tough. The things we saw were heart breaking. 50% of the residents are refugees from Nicaragua. While the people were amazing, the conditions were poor. Homes were made from just about anything they could find. Most had no power or running water. All of the homes had dirt floors. Most families consisted of a mother and 5-7 children. In LaCruz, many of the fathers have left. We met a little boy who was in tears because his dad had been missing for several weeks and the family had no idea where he was. The Pastor told us chances are that he was either dead, arrested and imprisoned or had simply took off on his family. The odds are high that they will never see him again and that scenario was repeated over and over.
The day was filled with smiles, hugs, tears and joy. It was a humbling day that I will never forget. Who am I to have so much living here in America, when others around the world have so little? I was crushed and yet also thankful that we could give some basic necessities to the people who desperately needed them. We saw God at work in every step we took and it inspired us to keep going because the BIG NIGHT was just a couple days away.
Day 2 In LaCruz - We went to the local school and met lots of children. We played games, colored, face painted and made bracelets. They taught us some Spanish and we taught them some English. Its amazing how you can develop friendships when you can even speak the same language. We invited all of the children to the EPIC FEEDING NIGHT and asked them to bring all of their family and friends too. We did not know how this would go, but we had faith and believed those in need would attend.
Day 3 In LaCruz - This was the calm before the storm. We spent the day preparing for the EPIC FEEDING NIGHT that would take place this evening. We did not know how many people would attend, but we planned on a couple hundred. We prepared the food and the church to host the meal. The goal was to feed people both physically and spiritually and God was about to show up in a VERY BIG WAY.
Let The Feeding Begin!!! - The dinner was scheduled to start at 7pm but we had to open the church doors about 6pm because the line was already growing. By 7pm, it was a packed house. We lost count somewhere around 300 people. In reality, there were probably somewhere between 400-500 people who came for the free food.
We met back up with many of the children from the school. Lots of the families we delivered food to and hundreds more we had not met. Apparently, the word was out in LaCruz and the town showed up in force!
For a while we were concerned about having enough food. But...once again God stepped in a multiplied the food so that everyone could have a second helping and many even enjoyed a third helping. There were no more empty stomachs that night. God is so good!
While everyone was eating we took the time to share some testimonies from the stage. Testimonies on how God had changed our hearts. How He filled us with love and how much He loved all of them. We concluded the night by sharing the Gospel and more than 30 people asked Jesus Christ to become their Lord and Savior that night. The special presence of God was unmistakable and at times it felt like the roof was going to blow off.
It was a night none of us will ever forget. Truly, an EPIC FEEDING NIGHT!
Time To Go Home - The time went by so fast. There were so many powerful moments. So many tears, so many laughs, so many new friendships. We met hundreds of residents. We prayed for them. They prayed for us. Our goal was to somehow be a blessing to LaCruz but LaCruz blessed us and we can't wait to return in November, 2016.
The Mission Continues - While we cant be in LaCruz, Costa Rica every day, our church partner is. Pastor Gerardo, his family and their staff have an enormous heart for feeding the hungry and loving on people in need. Their hearts are truly special and that is why we partnered with them after meeting them in October, 2016.
As a business, we will donate 20% of our profit to continue the feeding mission all throughout the year. We have full faith and trust in our brothers and sisters in Costa Rica as we know they are feeding stomachs and souls. We are in constant contact with them and we love them dearly.
Thank you once again so very much for your support. This mission simply would not be possible without your support. Together, we can do amazing things and I am so humbled, thankful, blessed and honored to be on this mission with our staff and our customers.
Please remember, None of us can do everything, but all of us can do something and together we can do amazing things!!
God bless you and thank you,
Love, The Lowrie Family & Share The Love Today


Last month, I spent a week on a short-term mission trip to San Sebastian, Spain. Later on, I’m going to write on a few things I took from it personally. Today, though, I’m warming up with some expansion on an observation I made on the way back, on what seems to me like a key difference between evangelism here1 and in Spain.
First, I’ll rewind a little to describe the trip. I, forty or so students from the high school ministry in which I volunteer, and ten other volunteers and staff put on a nightly street festival in various well-traveled parts of the city. The festivals featured amusements like balloon animals, face-painting, and line dancing2. We had fluent Spanish speakers3 manning a few tents with the sole purpose of outreach, and others circulating in the crowd. I admit, before the trip, I was unconvinced of its effectiveness4. I’m pleased to admit I was wrong5, and the key difference I alluded to has to do with perceptions of the church.
The local institution of the church shapes the way people look at the worldwide body of believers church, and the way people look at the church determines the best way to reach them. In the US, there are plenty of stereotypes and misconceptions, but today I’ll just pick one—the trendy, vain, insular evangelical church focused on appearances only6. A secular American looking at the San Sebastian trip through that lens might ask, where’s the part where you help people?
This is not an altogether invalid complaint, but it contains an implicit premise which doesn’t hold: the problems I see with the church here are the same problems everyone sees with the church everywhere. What might convince the notional secular American—seeing a church deeply involved in serving its community7—might not be as effective for a secular Basque.
Here I descend into rampant speculation. The conception of the church which seems most prevalent to me among Europeans is that of the ancient, crumbling establishment, either a cultural identifier more than an identifier of a changed life, or a building populated by the elderly and doomed to irrelevance in a generation or two. Against that backdrop, the ministry in which we took part turns heads and defies expectations8: here are fifty students and adults with enough heart and enough fire to leave their comfortably air-conditioned building in Texas and cross an ocean to share this good news. That’s just not a thing the stereotypical Spanish church would do, and it certainly seems to have sparked enough curiosity to change some lives.
Of course, we did the easy bit, and the local churches we worked with have the harder (but more rewarding) work of shepherding a bunch of new believers and watching them grow. Fortunately, they too have enough heart and enough fire to see it through. Anyway, that’s not the only way this trip was illuminating for me, or personally interesting, but until I finish the second part of this two-part series, you’ll just have to wait and see.
1. That is, in the US.
2. Which I enjoyed a lot more than I thought I might.
3. And occasionally some other people; a decent number of English-speakers passed through.
4. Although I do know everything…
5. …it turns out I actually don’t.
6. This is almost always an unfair take, and I’m certainly not knocking the modern style of evangelical church, given that those I’ve attended on my own advice generally fit the mold.
7. Which many do.
8. I could probably defend the argument that this describes almost every sort of outreach, but that sounds like a great topic for another post sometime later, so I’ll hold off.


The following is a paraphrase of a message I found in a blog:
‘This is what the message of the Blessed Mother is all about. It is about the end of the world. It is about the end of humanity–not so much in an apocalyptic way (although I wouldn’t rule that out) but the end of the world and the end of humanity because we are destroying ourselves. We are destroying families through contraception, sterilization, abortion and divorce. We are destroying our power through pornography, promiscuity, lust and rage. We are destroying our society through greed, materialism, disregard for the poor, trampling the widows, orphans, homeless and hungry. We are destroying ourselves.’
Now if you want, you can pay attention to, or not the phrase about the message of our blessed mother. That is up to you, but look at the rest of it, especially the part about “greed, materialism (how many hungry children can eat for what you aid for that iPhone? And then there is the contract, and so on), disregard for the poor (even in this country there are people who can afford only corn meal for food, and then that is not assured for every day) and homeless and hungry.
And pay the closest attention to that. last sentence. If you are interested, or even if you are turned off because it is “religious” I urge you to follow the link below. It is interesting, makes good points and really won’t hurt you to read it.
When you are done, turn to recent stories from the news regarding global climate change. That will destroy us too, and sooner than you think!
So, might want to get your affairs in order, even if slowly, because humanity seems to be on a downward trend. Adios Muchacho’s!!


The sermon, titled Sacramental Preaching, is available here on the St. Peter's Lutheran Church blog both in text and audio formats.
A few study notes and links:
- The Word, a poem by R.S. Thomas
- The sermon hymn is Thy Strong Word by M. Franzmann (first four verses before sermon, last two after sermon).
- The Creation of Adam, section of the Sistene Chapel by Michelangelo
- Sermon text is the Gospel Lesson for 5th Sunday after Epiphany, Mark 1:29-39


The 4th Joyful Mystery - The Presentation in the Temple
While holding the next large bead, speak to the Blessed Mother, let her know your prayer intentions for this holy rosary. Then, while contemplating the goodness of our Mother, read the following:
“When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
"When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, 'Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,' and to offer the sacrifice of 'a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,' in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.” - Luke 2:21-24
Fruit of the mystery: Purity of Heart and Body
Now, while reflecting on your prayer intention, the Gospel reading, and the fruit of Purity of Heart & Body,
Pray 1 Hail Mary on each of the next 10 beads.
Hail, Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.


Dear colleagues, Dear brothers and sisters,
good things come to those who wait. During the last three years we have been working for preparing the launch of the “European Christian Convention” – a large scale gathering of Christians in Europe. We have set up an association under Belgian law which has to date 28 member churches and organisations. And now we proudly present: The call to apply as a host for first European Christian Convention.
You find the call here:
We are searching for more churches, parishes and organisations to join our association which will organize the European Christian Convention together with the host. You can join here:
P.S.: Yes, our website will become nicer and more complete soon ;-)


WINTER RETREAT FAQS
What do Students do at The Winter Retreat? +
During the weekend there are three things students will do: 1) students will have tons of FUN playing all-camp games, hanging out with friends, meeting and making new friends, enjoying the Adventure Activities at Old Oak, and lots of other creative opportunities that are always changing and growing from year to year, 2) students will spend time worshiping God through music, prayer, and time with their individual church community, and 3) students will hear passionate speakers share from Gods word; the messages will challenge students to commit their lives to Jesus and to take the next steps in their lives of following him.
Who Can Come to The Winter Retreat? +
Anybody! In order to come to The Winter Retreat you must come as part of a participating Church, however, we are always eager to have more churches join our community.
How do I Register for The Winter Retreat?+
Registration for The Winter Retreat happens through your church youth leader. They will gather all registration from the participants from their church then register everyone for The Winter Retreat through our website. The “Registration” links on this site are for the youth leaders. Your leaders will be the primary point of contact for questions and information about the weekend.
How much does The Winter Retreat cost? +
The cost of the weekend is determined by each church. This is because each church has different costs and resources associated with transportation and volunteer leaders. Therefore, the cost of the weekend is slightly different for each church.
Where is The Winter Retreat? +
The Winter Retreat is held at Old Oak Ranch Conference Center. Located at about 4,000 feet in elevation, there’s not always snow but if there’s snow on the ground, you can bet our students will be playing in it. You can find more information about Old Oak at www.oldoak.com
When is The Winter Retreat? +
The Winter Retreat will be held February 8-10, 2019. Friday night dinner will be provided at camp. We’ll start our program as late as necessary to allow everyone to arrive on Friday night. The weekend will end on Sunday morning after our morning session and groups usually pull out of camp by 11:00am or noon.
Are cameras, gopros, phones, music devices allowed at The Winter Retreat? +
Your local church pastor will inform you of their policies in this area. Church leaders have different policies when it comes to what their group is allowed to have and not have. Please be aware that if you are allowed to bring devices that neither your church or camp is responsible for lost, damaged or stolen items.
What are the housing details? +
Church Groups are housed in a variety of cabin options. Our planning team will assign each Church Group specific housing. Church leaders designate individual housing assignments and both church and camp staff monitor and enforce the safety of separate sleeping quarters for our students.
What’s the safety and medical plan at The Winter Retreat? +
Safety is one of our highest concerns at any event. We’ll have a medical professional on hand in case a student gets sick or hurt during the weekend. We utilize several Covenant College Students to fill our Safety Team at The Winter Retreat. Their job is to keep an eye out for our students and to communicate with our Youth Leaders if they see a problem.
Who do I contact with questions? +
Parents of participants should direct questions to their church youth director/pastor/The Winter Retreat leader. Youth leaders from each church can get in touch with the The Winter Retreat Planning Team anytime.


As archbishop of New York, Timothy Dolan knows only too well the many faces of Jesus Christ and sees him in almost anybody. He uses his book to share a unique combination of simplicity, practicality, and guidance to give our faith a daily injection of meaning and application. This is a classic book that has instructed and inspired millions of people.
The author recounts a humble 17 th- century monk who reveals the secrets of a daily, moment by moment, relationship with God. Lawrence spent most of his monastic life in the monastery kitchen and shows how it is possible to discern God in everyday situations, even among the pots and pans.
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This edition has been translated from the original French into very readable English. The book is replete with realism, friendliness and simplicity. This book presents 10 of the most widely recognized Catholic spiritual traditions. It spans from Augustine spirituality to Mystical spirituality, including Benedictine spirituality. Each chapter includes a brief history of the tradition's founder and it highlights the major characteristics of each tradition. The chapters also include a spiritual prayer representative of that tradition. An excellent resource for the Benedictine oblate who seeks to understand other traditions and recognizes both similarities and subtle differences.
Mary Margaret has written about her experience of seeking God through the ancient tradition recommended by St. She points out that St.
In her book, Sr. He guides readers to create more stillness and solitude in their lives and to do so right where they are. Gregory urges us to realize that we are always in God's presence and to be more conscious of this. He writes, "The contemplative life and unceasing prayer is about being exactly where you are and aware of the presence of God and quickly and joyfully responsive to God's urgings. The author makes a compelling case for the relevance of Christian liturgy in our individualistic, secular world.
He presents examples and personal experiences and, by doing so, explains the countercultural appeal of liturgical worship that is the format of ecumenical orientation. Galli also cuts across the entire denominational spectrum. This book is an excellent resource for anyone interested in changing to different liturgical traditions. This popular and well-known author offers the most comprehensive book written to date on the Jesus Prayer. She presents the history, theology and spirituality of orthodoxy in order that the Jesus Prayer can be understood in the native context, and makes provision for practical steps in making it an integral part of our prayer life.
This book is about encounters with God in ordinary daily experiences by ordinary people. The questions of who is God and how to know Him are often asked. The authors encompass a wide diversity of subjects and, by doing so, make us aware of the many ways we can learn about God through ordinary situations in our lives.
God's image is revealed through the authors' compelling stories about family, conversion, kindness and forgiveness that emanate from their own experiences. Stories are also taken from Scripture, literature and the lives of ordinary people. The author, a Benedictine nun, knows a great deal about silence and solitude. For 20 years, she lived as a hermit. She has also lived in the secular world and is alert to the world around her. Her Benedictine wisdom is fundamental human wisdom. Her book is the outcome of her many decades of spiritual practice and journey.
She demonstrates how monasticism is not placed on a pedestal or behind walls, but is in the middle of a noisy, crowed and complicated word. Her premise is that monasticism is not to forsake the world, but it is for the sake of the world. In today's world, it is increasingly difficult to approach anyone who appears to be different and to be hospitable to that individual. Monasticism teaches us to accept differences and to see Jesus Christ in everyone we meet. In monasticism, everyone gets the same Jesus.
There is no trendy Jesus. The monks practice a religion based on the life of Jesus. This book attempts to open a door to a more hospitable way of life. In this book, Fr. Holz invites the reader to walk with him through five periods of pain and difficulty that happened in his life.
The first was when his world fell apart when the school he taught in for many years was closing. Benedict Prep was an intimate part of his world. Then came the death of his beloved brother Bob, Fr. Albert's knee surgery, his own cancer and the diminishing numbers of monks in his monastery. In a series of 24 meditations, Fr.
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Albert shows how the insights of the New Testament can be a citadel of practical help and spiritual help for those of us undergoing troubled times. These insights include compassion, courage and trust that appear in the New Testament. This is an excellent book, as we all face troubled times at some juncture of our lives. Albert shows us how we can cope with those times. In today's world, strangers often invoke a feeling of fear, suspicion and sometimes hostility. Anyone who appears to be different is viewed suspiciously, especially after a tragedy has occurred.
Our basic instinct is to withdraw, lock the door and make ready to protect our loved ones. A remedy for this suspicion and distrust lies within the heart of Benedictine spirituality. Hospitality is the key for this kind of defensive behavior. True Benedictine spirituality requires that we welcome strangers, not only into our domestic sanctuaries, but also into our hearts. The authors have drawn from monastic tradition and personal experiences.
They urge us to embrace the strangers from without, but also the stranger within us. Posthumously published, this book represents a gift to anyone who reads it. It is a collection of Cardinal Hume's reflections of the passion and death of Our Lord. Through his reflections, we are brought more deeply into the mysteries of our salvation and can glimpse the grace that was always in his mind and heart. Cardinal Hume shares his own questioning, his searching, and his anguish.
These reflections are drawn from his homilies and speeches over 20 years. He looks at such questions as why do tragedies happen, why do the innocent have to suffer, why do many of us experience pain and desolation during our lives?
Cardinal Hume joins us as a fellow pilgrim on our journey to grow closer to God. He meditates on the deep mysteries and uncertainties of our journey. He encourages us to enter into Jesus Christ's brutal and barbaric death on the cross and see if we can ascertain some meaning. The author points out that anyone who has visited a great cathedral has been impressed and duly awed by the massive stone foundations that support the main central tower. The four pillars of the church give strong support to the soaring church edifice.
Kardong uses this analogy to write about the four ancient rules that stand in support of Western monasticism, giving a structure that future spiritual architects, St. Benedict being one of them, would build upon. In a creative and engaging way, he shows how the lives and social settings of these early founders shaped their unique style of monasticism. For example, St. This book is great for appreciating ancient texts in comparison with modern times, which we can recognize even today.
Benedict as a celebrity and depicts him as a hero. Gregory places Benedict primarily in the role of hero and as a miracle worker. Kardong takes a new look at Pope Gregory's classic book. The author injects his sense of humor into his commentaries and, by doing so, moves the reader into an enlightened spiritual life. Another benefit is that Kardong's practical and sensible writing propels the readers into loving St. Benedict and wanting to learn more about him. This book is an attractive compendium that brings together three of Fr. Together, they explore both the theory and practice of centering prayer, along with its use in the total liturgical life of the Church.
This book is written as an answer guide to questions raised over the years about the origins of Christmas. The author, a professor of religious studies, answers these questions and more in a precise and cogent way. The contents of this book were compiled from the letters and other sources of Br. Lawrence's signature work is characterized by its emphasis on simple, everyday occurrences.
He calls us to celebrate how prayer and piety in the most ordinary of circumstances can help to cultivate a lasting sense of intimacy with God. Lawrence found the presence God even in the monastery kitchen. How does a family find time to live and pray the gospel of Jesus Christ in the home? Beset with busy work lives, extracurricular activities and other time demands, it becomes increasingly more difficult to find time to pray together as a family.
This book will help to shape the lives of mothers, fathers and church personnel so that time management will allow for time to pray together. For too long, families have been removed from the practice of daily prayer and, especially, family prayer. Benedict's Abbey in Atchison, Kansas. The author shares the insights of St. The author declares that he has no financial or personal relationships which may have inappropriately influenced him in writing this article. Acta Thomae, [repr. Bonnet eds. Hildesheim, Olms. Bonnet, eds. Acta Thomae, , '7', in A.
Klijn, ed. Aphrahat, , 'Demonstration 6', in J. Parisot ed. Turnhout: Brepols Aphrahat, , 'Demonstration 18', in J. Barker, M. Chorbishop, S. Benz, E. Beyreuther, E. Bousset, W. Didascalia Apostolorum, , '9', in R. Connolly ed. Funk ed. Schoeningh, Paderborn. Drobner, H. Evangelium da-Mepharrese, , Evangelium da-Mepharrese: the Curetonian Version of the four gospels, with the readings of the Sinai palimpsest and the early Syriac patristic evidence edited, collected and arranged by F. Burkitt , pp. Ephrem Syrus, , 'Commentary on the concordant gospel or Diatessaron 19, 15', in L.
Leloir ed. Epiphanius, , 'Panarion 19, 4, ', in K. Holl ed. Panarion haereses , p. Epiphanius, , 'Panarion 30, 17, 6', in K. Frey, H. Hieronymus, , 'Commentary on Isaiah', in M. Adriaen ed. Hieronymus, , 'Commentary on Ezekiel', in F. Glorie ed. Wendland ed. Band, Hippolytus, Refutatio omnium haeresium , p. Hirsch, S. Irenaeus Lugdunensis, , 'Adversus Haereses 4, 7, 4', in A. Rousseau ed. Irenaeus Lugdunensis, , 'Adversus Haereses 20, 1', in A. Klijn, A. Kretschmar, G. Luomanen, P. Berthold eds. Kroeger eds. Melito of Sardis, , 'Frg. Hall ed. Murray, R. Odae Solomonis, , '36, 3a', in M. Lattke ed.
Ehrhardt, H. Attridge ed. Origenes, , 'Homilies on Jeremiah', in E. Klostermann ed. Origenes, , 'Commentary on the Gospel of John', in E. Preuschen ed. Band, Der Johanneskommentar , p. Osiek, C. Outler, A. Pastor Hermae, , 'Similitudes', in U. Leutzsch eds. Pastor Hermae, , 'Visions', in U. Leutzsch, eds. Pseudo-Clementines, , 'Hom. Rehm ed. Quispel, G. Robinson, J. Seeberg, R. Theophilus Antiochenus, , 'Ad Autolycum 1, 7', in R. Grant ed. Grant, Clarendon Press, Oxford. Theophilus Antiochenus, , 'Ad Autolycum 2, 15', in R.
Guillaumont, H. Puech, G. Quispel, W. Thomae Evangelium, , 'Logion ', in P. Nagel ed. Van de Bank, J. Van Oort, J. Correspondence : Ernest Van Eck ernest. Received: 22 Oct. Bousset and Gressmann , Four: 'The Evidence of Wisdom']. Sometimes, however, their reasoning and rather quick conclusions should be taken with caution. Robinson Here and elsewhere I speak of 'gnostic' between parentheses to indicate that, in modern research, the term has become problematic.
Murray , n. With reference to Murray , Chorbishop Seely Joseph Beggiani , reduces this to one. Outler [paperback ed. More on Wesley's study of Makarios and the translation of his works in Benz , n. Quispel See e. It is interesting to read on e. Murray , and , among others. Murray e. As a matter of fact, he more often speaks of 'Children of God'.
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LAURA & Co. Salon
Laura is a very passionate person. Her first love is Jesus Christ. Her priorities are first God, then her wonderful husband, Steve, and her 2 beautiful children Drake and Addison. Of course hair and beauty are important, especially if they help a woman see how truly beautiful she really is, but nutrition and fitness are also very important to her.
Integrity of hair is very important, toxin-free living(including hair products), and being environmentally conscious.
We want to educate, empower, and enrich the lifestyle of today's woman seeking beautiful, healthy, natural hair. We provide a mastery of hair care sciences that completely transforms beauty inside and out. We care for the world we live in, from the products we use to the ways in which we give back to society. We strive to bring glory to God in all that we do.


I need Beauty
The older I get the more I'm driven outside to take in the beauty of what God has made. I simply need to sit and soak in the glory of God. Thus, to a certain extent, I can see why some people would rather worship God "in nature" than go to "church" on Sundays.
I'm reminded of something Brother Lawrence wrote in "Practicing the Presence of Christ"": something to the effect that "I find it difficult to think about God when I pray; but when I wash dishes I think about Him all the time." Indeed, I find myself thinking about God far more often when I'm outside fishing than when I'm inside a building singing.
Why do these observations ring true?


The first gold coin of the Christmas season for the Porter County Salvation Army has been found in a red kettle at the Strack and Van Til on Calumet Avenue in Valparaiso, during the morning to afternoon shift Saturday December 21. The coin has an image of the knight St. George, and was accompanied by a Christmas card with Santa Claus on front, signed "The Bright Metal Society", and identifying the gift as an 1883 Queen Victoria gold coin. Also inside the card was a special holiday message that read
"Three Wise Men
Came & one
Far Away Land
When Times were
Sought for a
Mother & her
King – yet
Two Thousand Years
Have come & fled,
Still to the Manger
We are led.
taken from a sword.
Bright Metal once again serves our Lord..."
Additional information from The Salvation Army of Porter County:
THE SALVATION ARMY OF PORTER COUNTY 2013 Christmas Season Red Kettle Campaign is at $121,805.93 (as of Thursday, 12/19) 81.2% of goal (150,000) in Porter County, which is our major fund-raising event for the Army each year and one of the world’s oldest philanthropic campaigns. The monies raised over these days (excluding Sundays) will be used to assist those in need in Porter County for Christmas and throughout the 2014 fiscal year. The traditional red kettle is an integral part of the Christmas scene with our overall Campaign Goal this year at $280, 000 (to date we are at $220,914.25 or 78.9%). We plan to raise $150,000 through our Red Kettle Drive and $130,000 ( we are at $99,108.32 or 76.2%) through our mail appeal drive to serve needy families, youth & seniors in our Porter County communities throughout the year. The Red Kettle Campaign is into the final week for Red Kettle Bell Ringing. Please know that our Mail Appeal Drive continues to accept donations thru to January 30, 2014 for this annual campaign.
We invite you to be part of this event to help spread the word about raising funds for The Salvation Army of Porter County to assist those in need. Thanks to the hundreds of volunteers who rung the bell; fed people on Thanksgiving Day; collected, sorted, wrapped and distributed gifts at The Salvation Army of Porter County Corps Community Center and local Nursing Homes. “The Salvation Army has brought spiritual light and love along with food, clothing and gifts to over 433 families, 819 senior citizens and 722 children which were served this Christmas Season so that the real meaning is not forgotten. We minister to the needy in Jesus name without discrimination.”
Other Christmas events held by the Army include the Angel Tree Food, Clothing & Toy Assistance, Collection and Distribution, Adopt-a-Family Assistance, Christmas Nursing Home/Shut-in Senior Gift Distribution, Christmas Food Distribution and Youth & Family Christmas Parties, Christmas and New Year Worship Services along with our daily help with food, rent/mortgage, utility, medicine, employment and transportation assistance.Thank you and may God richly bless Porter County, Indiana.


Open Positions at Rosemont Baptist Church
Rosemont Baptist has some open positions for which we are looking for qualified candidates.
Rosemont Baptist is looking for a person to serve as Ministry Assistant to the Pastor who will want make the journey with us into the future God has planned for us. This individual is responsible for providing administrative and ministry related support to the pastor and ministries of Rosemont Baptist Church. These duties include but are not limited to design and publishing, communications, scheduling and organizing, basic bookkeeping, and general office duties. This position will work closely with the pastor.
CLICK HERE to read the job description and to see more information about this position.


Two friends have asked that I turn my fb status into a blogpost, so here goes:
As I read the news this morning, my heart plunged a little deeper. History has repeated itself again yet parts of the church have remained silent–cloaked behind cultural differences and innuendos. A harsh reality is this: many have not forgiven nor forgotten what transpired a little less than 50 years ago. Ferguson has caused old wounds to fester and it needs true healing not a bandaid but true internal surgery. At the core, this is not a #race issue nor a #political issue. This is a #sin issue. This is a #heart issue. Our heart is deceitful. we honestly cannot trust it. The headlines prove why. #Hate and harboring offense are both seen as sin in GOD’s eyes. God is not most concerned with your church. He is most concerned with HIS church. Wrong is wrong and if an action elicits a wrong response then it is sin. I commend my brothers and sisters (all people groups) who are brave enough to call out injustice and in their own relationships seek mercy. We are guilty in lauding our offense over Christ’s call to be ONE body. As followers of Christ, we cannot choose our privilege nor our right over Jesus’ call to truly love one another especially if we claim Him to be LORD of our lives. It is not ‘us’ versus ‘them’. It is ‘we’.
The enemy is an opportunist. He cares nothing for the offender nor the offended but seeks opportunity to divide. Choose differently
‘Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose,
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.’ (Philippians 2:1-5 NLT)
‘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.’
Please feel free to read and share.


Friday, 10 April 2009
The Easter Parade from 1940-1950
Hello, Retro Lovers!
Today we visit Oakland, CA. and travel back to the years 1940 and 1950.
It's Easter and the stores and churches are out in great numbers in the local newspapers. New clothes are big and selecting just the right church to visit in them is even bigger! Enjoy these ads and church notes from these special retro years and remember that these ads were run all through "Holy Week" and the church notes took up at least FIVE pages in the Saturday paper the day before Easter Sunday.
Oakland had some neat smaller shops and some wonderful department stores such as Kahn's and Capwell's, both now gone.
Enjoy and Happy Easter!