Wednesday, May 11, 2005
for Wed May 11 and beyond
wed weekly May 11, 2005
Fairlawn-West United Church of Christ
http://www.fairlawnwest.org
office@fairlawnwest.org
updates to the calendar and announcements during the week can be found at http://fairlawnwest.blogspot.com
Blogs:http://discipledavid.blogspot.com/
http://readeachday.blogspot.com/
Pentecost this Sunday the 15th. Worship at 9:30 a.m. Sunday School at 10:45 a.m. Confirmation this Sunday. The disciples were in constant training and experience with Jesus for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, over three years. But after that in depthy training and experience, they still weren't ready to go on the mission that Jesus had given them. It wasn't until the power of God came upon them, the Holy Spirit, that they were able to use the things they learned and experienced with Jesus. They tried those things out from time to time over the three years with them. Most often they wound up frustrated because things didn't work out the way they expected. Sometimes things worked…a healing, a sermon, and so on. But they were never able to sustain it. This Sunday we don't celebrate the birthday of the church. This Sunday we wait for the Holy Spirit to give us the confidence, courage, wisdom and insight to use what we have been trained in…if we have been in discipleship training. (cell groups and Bible study groups are a great way to train as a disciple.)
Mall Bible Study Thursdays in the food court at 9:00 a.m.We are starting the book from the Old Testament of Ecclesiastes. This book has a lot to say to us in our present circumstance. Feel free to join us any time.From Ecclesiastes 12Smoke, nothing but smoke. [That's what the Quester says.]There's nothing to anything--it's all smoke.3What's there to show for a lifetime of work,a lifetime of working your fingers to the bone?4One generation goes its way, the next one arrives,but nothing changes--it's business as usual for oldplanet earth.5The sun comes up and the sun goes down,then does it again, and again--the same old round.6The wind blows south, the wind blows north.Around and around and around it blows,blowing this way, then that--the whirling, erratic wind.7All the rivers flow into the sea,but the sea never fills up.The rivers keep flowing to the same old place,and then start all over and do it again.8Everything's boring, utterly boring--no one can find any meaning in it.Boring to the eye,boring to the ear.9What was will be again,what happened will happen again.There's nothing new on this earth.Year after year it's the same old thing.10Does someone call out, "Hey, this is new"?Don't get excited--it's the same old story.11Nobody remembers what happened yesterday.And the things that will happen tomorrow?Nobody'll remember them either.Don't count on being remembered.
No Godless Announcements
The following is from an article in "United Church News" called "Talking the Walk" about helping local church people to talk about their faith.
"(Pastor Lillian Daniel of Church of the Redeemer UCC in New Haven, Conn) asked her congregation to adopt a new policy: "No Godless announcements."
"Our rule was you had to talk about God. You couldn't just get up there and talk about the homeless shelter, you had to talk about how you had experienced God through your work in the homeless shelter.
"The congregation's new-found guideline was actually a return to an ages-old Christian practice, known as 'giving testimony.'
"She said, 'Testimony is really different than getting up and talking about something of interest in the church. It's talking about your experience of God.'
Heifer International
You can help more than you realize. Visit the site for Heifer International. Five dollars can help a family in poverty in the world to grow up and become self-sufficient.
More
"Beyond Bandaids:Partnering for Poverty-Free Communities" at Trinity UCC, 8101 Manchester Ave, Canal Fulton, Monday, May 16th, 7 p.m.
"Soul to Sole" a prayer and movement/dance workshop at the University of Akron, Saturday, May 21 9-11:15 a.m. Sponsored by Leaven Dance Company. Stretch:spiritually and physically. Strengthen:bonds with God and each other. Ignite: the creative spark. Turn: to embodied prayer and worship. $12.00. Contact Kathryn Mihelick 330-688-8806 or kmleaven@neo.rr.com for more info. Send registration to OhioDance, 77 S. High Street, 2nd Floor, Columbus, Ohio 43215 with your name, address, and phone number.
Ohio Conference Annual Gathering, June 17-18 at First Community Church, Columbus, North Campus. Information is on our bulletin board.
Ohio Conference Summer Camps
Eastern Ohio Association, UCC
SARA Sharing America's Resources Abroad part of the Ohio Conference of the UCC
Fairlawn-West United Church of Christ
http://www.fairlawnwest.org
office@fairlawnwest.org
updates to the calendar and announcements during the week can be found at http://fairlawnwest.blogspot.com
Blogs:http://discipledavid.blogspot.com/
http://readeachday.blogspot.com/
Pentecost this Sunday the 15th. Worship at 9:30 a.m. Sunday School at 10:45 a.m. Confirmation this Sunday. The disciples were in constant training and experience with Jesus for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, over three years. But after that in depthy training and experience, they still weren't ready to go on the mission that Jesus had given them. It wasn't until the power of God came upon them, the Holy Spirit, that they were able to use the things they learned and experienced with Jesus. They tried those things out from time to time over the three years with them. Most often they wound up frustrated because things didn't work out the way they expected. Sometimes things worked…a healing, a sermon, and so on. But they were never able to sustain it. This Sunday we don't celebrate the birthday of the church. This Sunday we wait for the Holy Spirit to give us the confidence, courage, wisdom and insight to use what we have been trained in…if we have been in discipleship training. (cell groups and Bible study groups are a great way to train as a disciple.)
Mall Bible Study Thursdays in the food court at 9:00 a.m.We are starting the book from the Old Testament of Ecclesiastes. This book has a lot to say to us in our present circumstance. Feel free to join us any time.From Ecclesiastes 12Smoke, nothing but smoke. [That's what the Quester says.]There's nothing to anything--it's all smoke.3What's there to show for a lifetime of work,a lifetime of working your fingers to the bone?4One generation goes its way, the next one arrives,but nothing changes--it's business as usual for oldplanet earth.5The sun comes up and the sun goes down,then does it again, and again--the same old round.6The wind blows south, the wind blows north.Around and around and around it blows,blowing this way, then that--the whirling, erratic wind.7All the rivers flow into the sea,but the sea never fills up.The rivers keep flowing to the same old place,and then start all over and do it again.8Everything's boring, utterly boring--no one can find any meaning in it.Boring to the eye,boring to the ear.9What was will be again,what happened will happen again.There's nothing new on this earth.Year after year it's the same old thing.10Does someone call out, "Hey, this is new"?Don't get excited--it's the same old story.11Nobody remembers what happened yesterday.And the things that will happen tomorrow?Nobody'll remember them either.Don't count on being remembered.
No Godless Announcements
The following is from an article in "United Church News" called "Talking the Walk" about helping local church people to talk about their faith.
"(Pastor Lillian Daniel of Church of the Redeemer UCC in New Haven, Conn) asked her congregation to adopt a new policy: "No Godless announcements."
"Our rule was you had to talk about God. You couldn't just get up there and talk about the homeless shelter, you had to talk about how you had experienced God through your work in the homeless shelter.
"The congregation's new-found guideline was actually a return to an ages-old Christian practice, known as 'giving testimony.'
"She said, 'Testimony is really different than getting up and talking about something of interest in the church. It's talking about your experience of God.'
Heifer International
You can help more than you realize. Visit the site for Heifer International. Five dollars can help a family in poverty in the world to grow up and become self-sufficient.
More
"Beyond Bandaids:Partnering for Poverty-Free Communities" at Trinity UCC, 8101 Manchester Ave, Canal Fulton, Monday, May 16th, 7 p.m.
"Soul to Sole" a prayer and movement/dance workshop at the University of Akron, Saturday, May 21 9-11:15 a.m. Sponsored by Leaven Dance Company. Stretch:spiritually and physically. Strengthen:bonds with God and each other. Ignite: the creative spark. Turn: to embodied prayer and worship. $12.00. Contact Kathryn Mihelick 330-688-8806 or kmleaven@neo.rr.com for more info. Send registration to OhioDance, 77 S. High Street, 2nd Floor, Columbus, Ohio 43215 with your name, address, and phone number.
Ohio Conference Annual Gathering, June 17-18 at First Community Church, Columbus, North Campus. Information is on our bulletin board.
Ohio Conference Summer Camps
Eastern Ohio Association, UCC
SARA Sharing America's Resources Abroad part of the Ohio Conference of the UCC
