Saturday, April 19, 2008
canoe trip Current River June 21-26
2008 trip
Current River National Scenic Riverway, Salem & Eminence, MO
canoe trip June 22-27
http://www.nps.gov/ozar/index.htm
http://www.runningrivercanoe.com/
http://www.missouriscenicrivers.com/
http://www.fairlawnwest.org/outdoors.html
Are you interested? deloar@yahoo.com
$25 deposit
total cost around $125
Friday, April 18, 2008
how can I change? The Bible & the 12 Steps of Recovery
Join Fairlawn West United of Christ on Sundays at 11:00 am in the Music Room of our building for a gathering of people who are using "The Bible and the Twelve Steps of Recovery."
One of the major struggles for most people who are part of church life is how to transform what they learn about being a disciple of Jesus Christ into their regular living. Over the years things have been dumbed down and reduced down to simply being a "good Christian." There is no such animal. Rather, we are called to give up our lives and to follow Jesus Christ.
But many people are frustrated in church. They hear and read about how they should be, but cannot find the tools to help them shape their life or to turn it over to God so it will be that which they read about in scripture.
The 12 Steps of Recovery as originated through Alcoholic Anonymous have become relegated by too many of us to "helping those kinds of people" and unfortunately, many of us don't realize we are "those kind of people." We need help in turning our lives around. In making our lives more consistent with what we say we believe and are our personal values. So we begin to fudge and give ourselves credit for really only having a small percentage of our life fitting with what we believe. Or we just look at our lives and whitewash it to say we think we are doing pretty good the way we are. The 12 Steps will help us in a fellowship of others seeking to make their lives live up more to our calling from God to live who we truly believe and know God wants us to be. No more excuses or whitewash. And then, we can truly accept God's forgiveness for the ways we know we are not perfect, and to realize God is perfecting us through this spiritually transforming way.
One of the major struggles for most people who are part of church life is how to transform what they learn about being a disciple of Jesus Christ into their regular living. Over the years things have been dumbed down and reduced down to simply being a "good Christian." There is no such animal. Rather, we are called to give up our lives and to follow Jesus Christ.
But many people are frustrated in church. They hear and read about how they should be, but cannot find the tools to help them shape their life or to turn it over to God so it will be that which they read about in scripture.
The 12 Steps of Recovery as originated through Alcoholic Anonymous have become relegated by too many of us to "helping those kinds of people" and unfortunately, many of us don't realize we are "those kind of people." We need help in turning our lives around. In making our lives more consistent with what we say we believe and are our personal values. So we begin to fudge and give ourselves credit for really only having a small percentage of our life fitting with what we believe. Or we just look at our lives and whitewash it to say we think we are doing pretty good the way we are. The 12 Steps will help us in a fellowship of others seeking to make their lives live up more to our calling from God to live who we truly believe and know God wants us to be. No more excuses or whitewash. And then, we can truly accept God's forgiveness for the ways we know we are not perfect, and to realize God is perfecting us through this spiritually transforming way.
Labels: Fairlawn West, recovery, UCC, United Church of Christ
