A recent AP article on MSNBC.com tells of a Yale Study which demonstrates that babies as young as 6 months old know which playmates to seek out and which ones to avoid. Psychologists showed a "googly-eyed toy" trying to climb "roller coaster hills" to a variety of babies age 6 to 10 months. They were then shown two types of additional toys. One type of toy would help the googly-eyed climber up the hill. The other would push it back down.
Finally each baby was given the choice of playing with the "helpful" or "harmful" toy. According to the article, "nearly every baby picked the helpful toy over the bad one." Babies would also choose to play with neutral toys, but they preferred the helpful ones to either of the other ones. If researchers removed the eyes from the toys, rendering them less "life-like," the children stopped making distinctions.
Of course scientists are divided as to how these data should be interpreted. Those who conducted the Yale study believe it to be evidence that humans have innate social skills that don't need to be taught. Others argue that it merely indicates that children are learning social behaviors at an earlier age.
At the risk of being an arm-chair researcher, it does indicate to me that, even at an early age, we look for people who will help us rather than hurt us. There is something in us that is looking for a teammate, someone who will make life easier. And we choose people who show that kind of promise. Most people don't really want to go it alone.
This morning we're going to look at a scripture that reminds us of this very fact. At the end of Colossians, Paul devotes some space to personal matters. He sends greetings from some of his companions to the church in Colosse. He greets some of the recipients by name. He asks that the Colossians receive the bearer of the letter as well as others who will be visiting them sometime soon.
All of this serves as a very important reminder to us. Even though Paul is the one who gets most of the credit, he was not working alone. He had a lot of help. Some of these helpers we know by name. But, even though we know their name, that's all we know of them. The rest of their story has faded into obscurity. Surely there are other helpers of Paul who will forever be anonymous. I would hope that any of them would tell you that this is OK. What matters is not who gets the recognition, but that people hear the Good News about Jesus.
We all have a part to play. Most of us will not get very much recognition by others. I doubt any of us will go down in history for our contributions to the Kingdom of God. No matter. God knows the part we are playing. And the Kingdom is growing. Paul calls this fact a mystery. I pray that, this morning, God will pull you in and make you a part of his unfolding plan.
Add Salt
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
--Colossians 4:6
In a Discipleship Journal article entitled "A Vessel of Grace," Robert Hager tells about a father who received a letter in the mail explaining that his son had failed a class during his senior year. It had been the father's hope that his son would be attending a prestigious university, so he was obviously upset.
But rather than express his disappointment to his son, the father chose to focus his wrath on the school and its representatives. He stormed into the teacher's classroom after school the next day and demanded that the grade be changed. The teacher, believing the grade to be the right one, refused. The father threatened to have the teacher fired and marched from there to the principal's office.
Once he was in the principal's office, the father launched into a tirade. Already familiar with the situation, the principal told the father that the grade was fair and that there was nothing he could do. The father was livid. He screamed loud enough for everyone in the school office to hear that his next visit would be with the superintendant of schools.
At this point the principal could have done several things. He could have met anger with anger. He could have called school security and had the man removed from campus. Instead he said something that instantly took the wind from the father's sails. He looked him in the eye and said, "You must love your son very much."
The father was taken aback. From there he went on to explain how important it was to him that his son do well and how worried he was that the grade would adversely affect his son's future. When he left the principal's office that day, he was no less disappointed or worried about his son. But he had decided that he would no longer look seek to punish the school system for his son's actions.
What the principal did was introduce a little bit of grace into the situation. Without compromising his integrity or undermining his teacher, he was able to show sympathy to a worried father. And because of that, he was able to call the father to a higher standard.
Paul's command at the end of Colossians (see above) is a great encouragement for us. It's also quite a challenge. Life is much easier when you don't have to ask yourself, "What is the graceful thing to do here?" But don't we also benefit when we can show others grace? After all, if we can be graceful to others, we can also be graceful to ourselves.
Watch Your Step
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.
--Colossians 4:5
There's being smart and there's being wise. I'm fine with smart. I can do smart. Smart comes naturally to me. My head just retains information. I like to think. I like to ponder. I like to read things that are difficult to understand. Book learning has always come naturally to me. But that's smart, not wise. I don't feel like I always do so well with being wise. Most of the time, when I get into trouble, it's not because I wasn't smart, it's because I was unwise. I don't think I'm alone in that.
Take, for instance, the case of Steffi Krause, age 17. Krause and a friend were serving time in a juvenile detention center in Germany for theft when the time came for her 19 year old friend to be released. Krause could not tolerate the idea of being incarcerated one moment longer. So she hatched a plan (a very smart plan) to leave detention with her friend. She hid in her friend's suitcase and rolled through the doors right behind her. The guards later recalled that they had noticed how heavy her suitcase was, but it had never occurred to them to investigate. Krause and her unnamed accomplice are both still at large.
This is a prime example of smart but not wise. Both of these young women have exchanged a brief prison sentence for the fugitive life. They must now either run or be caught. And if/when they are caught they will serve a great deal more time. By the way, the remainder of the sentence that Krause just couldn't bear to serve? Two weeks.
When I think about the grief that I cause for myself and for others, I realize that it's because I've not been wise. Lack of wisdom is always a factor when I can look back at something I have done or said and ask myself, "What was I thinking?" Or, "How could I have thought that was a good idea?" The maddening thing, of course, is that no amount of book-learning has cured me of my propensity to make unwise decisions.
That's why Paul's words to the Colossians can be pretty daunting. He's not challenging me to be smart; he's challenging me to be wise. This morning we'll talk about what it means to be wise in the way that we act. What does it look like? Where can we find wisdom? And how can we "make the most of every opportunity" to act with wisdom. May God grant us the wisdom that we can find in being smart.
Devotional Prayer
One of the best books that I've read recently is Thomas Merton's autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain. Merton recounts a childhood spent traveling about Europe in the early 20th century and his American education at prestigious Columbia University. But it is mostly a story about his journey to faith. In 1941, on the cusp of an exceptional literary career, Merton entered a Trappist Monastery in Kentucky and embarked on a life of meditation and writing. He became one of the most renowned Christian writers of his era. (I was actually given an extra copy for Christmas a couple of years ago. If anyone wants it, it's yours.)
I just wanted you to have some context before I shared one of his prayers with you. This is from his book, Thoughts in Solitude:
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
Let me tell you what I absolutely love about this prayer: its unflinching honesty. This prayer hasn't the slightest bit of pretense. Merton has no need to act like he has all the answers or that he's Super Christian. This is the modern day equivalent of the tax collector's prayer in Luke 18: "God, have mercy on me, a sinner."
This morning we'll be looking at a verse in Colossians in which Paul encourages his audience to "devote (themselves) to prayer (4:2)." I've been trying to figure out why this is so difficult a challenge for me. I pray semi-regularly. But to say that I'm devoted to prayer, I don't know about that.
I think that there are a variety of reasons. But one of them is that I still have a hard time being this honest with God. When I can be this transparent, devotion to God isn't a difficulty, it's a privilege. I hope you will devote yourselves to prayer this morning and that you will experience God's blessings because of it.
Ambassadors
When Rachel was at Lipscomb University she twice went to Bucharest, Romania with a group of students and faculty. After we were married I went there with her for a month. While there, we worked with a church to teach English to and study the Bible with interested Romanians. We volunteered in local orphanages-things like that.
I remember her talking about what it was like to travel the streets of Bucharest with a large group of American students. When I was there with her, I got to witness it first hand. Let's just say that the Americans didn't blend in very well. I'm sure it was obvious to everyone at first sight that we weren't Romanian. The way we dressed, the way we walked and our overstuffed backpacks, everything about us made us stand out.
I remember sitting in an Ice Cream parlor in downtown Bucharest. This was not a filthy place. (It was a Baskin Robbins, for Pete's sake.) But you can imagine the funny looks we got from the locals when two team members reached into their voluminous packs and commenced to bathe their arms up to the elbows in disinfectant.
And then we would start talking. Rather loudly it turns out. On the Metro, we filled a third of a car with our conversation. And on top of that someone had the idea to start singing devotional songs. Romanians began to edge toward the opposite side of the car as their normally subdued commute became a symphony.
Let me be clear. There's nothing wrong with singing. Singing is good. I like devotional songs. And I'm all for people talking to one another. And there's nothing wrong with a little personal hygiene. And these students were giving up there summer to serve others and tell them about Jesus. And people got to see God's mercy in them. I really respect that.
But the challenging question for us is this: "If we were representing Jesus, what kind of picture were the citizens of Bucharest getting?" The ones who saw us on the street would probably say that Jesus is a nicely dressed, outspoken young person who is preoccupied with infection and who is prone to burst into spontaneous song.
The question should at least give us pause. Because we have to ask the same question of ourselves this morning. When people see us every day, do they get a good idea of who Jesus is? Does our behavior represent him well? That's certainly a sobering thought. Sometimes I think I've done okay. Sometimes I've failed miserably. Either way I need the reminder that Paul gives us this morning:
...And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Colossians 3:17).
Norfolk Military Ministry
The Norfolk Church of Christ is unlike any other church I've ever been a part of. That's partially due to geographical differences. Congregations in Tennessee (a CofC "motherland") are older, more established and more easily populated. But it's also a result of NCOC's military composition. In Tennessee, most churches have a large percentage of multigenerational families in their membership. I've heard some people say that, in those churches, you're a "new member" until you've been there for a decade or more. Clearly that's not the case here. If we waited that long, no one would ever become a part of our family.
Like everything else, this is a mixed blessing. It's not always easy getting to know people, watching them become an important part of the church family, and then saying goodbye to them in such a short time. At the same time, one of the things I love about this church is that most people don't waste any time jumping in and getting involved. Never a dull moment.
I also love the fact that this congregation's nature provides a unique opportunity-one that our elder's have wisely recognized. If you think solely in terms of what is happening in Norfolk our range of influence is certainly not as great as other churches (not that I would encourage comparisons of that nature). But if you think about our ability to have an impact on a larger sphere, it looks like God has given us a tremendous opportunity.
Let me remind you of something I don't talk about often enough. The hope of the Norfolk Military Ministry is to:
• Serve: Welcome all of those whom the military brings are way and share God's love with them.
• Save: Bring them into a saving relationship with Jesus, one that will change lives.
• Strengthen: Equip them to serve others.
• Send: Watch them go to their next duty station knowing that they will make a difference in the name of Jesus.
I'm out of town this weekend. In my absence, Bill Hromada is going to be sharing his vision for his work with the Norfolk Military Ministry. I'm excited about Bill's ability to help us achieve this fourfold mission. I'll miss worshiping with you, and I look forward to seeing you next week.
Can You Spare a Dime?
In a 1997 awards dinner speech, then Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen told a story about a trip that Henry Ford made to his Father's homeland of County Cork, Ireland. By this time Ford was millionaire, so he received celebrity treatment. He was also given plenty of opportunities to give to local charities. One of those charities was the construction of a local hospital, for which Ford pulled out his checkbook and stroked a check for $5000.
Imagine his surprise the next morning when he picked up the local newspaper and the headline read, "Ford Contributes $50,000 Dollars for Construction of Local Hospital." The local officials were equally distraught. Upon seeing the headline, they rushed to where Ford was staying, hoping to reassure him. "Mr. Ford," they said, "we're terribly sorry. It wasn't our fault. It must have been a typographical error. We'll be happy to see to it that a retraction is printed in tomorrow's paper."
Of course, Ford knew that it would be a PR disaster if the next day's headline were to read, "Ford Withdraws Donation." So he made them an offer. He said, "If you'll give me one wish, I'll give you the balance of $45,000. When the hospital is finished, I want to place a quote of my choice at the entrance."
The townspeople agreed. A check was written, and when construction was completed a quote from the KJV translation of Matthew 25:25 was placed above the entrance-"I came to you as a stranger and you took me in."
This morning we promise not to "take you in." But we will be reminding you that we want your donations for "At My Gate"-our effort to work with a local church in Uyo, Nigeria to provide aid to widows, orphans and the needy. I promise that we won't be adding any zeroes to your contribution. We will be happy for whatever you can give.
This morning you'll get an update from one of our deacons, Inemesit Ekanem on what our funds are helping to accomplish in Nigeria. And I'm going to be sharing some scripture that, I hope, will help us get the bigger picture when it comes to our money and our giving.
But that's not the only reason we're here. We're also gathering to celebrate how much God has given to us. We are incredibly blessed today. I hope you'll join men in offering up songs of praise and prayers of thanks to the One who has given us everything.
Jump In
--"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God" (Colossians 3:16).
In his book, In the Eye of the Storm, Max Lucado tells of a groundbreaking operation that occurred on February 15, 1921. In many ways, he says, it was a routine procedure. The patient was complaining of abdominal pain of a type that clearly indicated his appendix would soon rupture. An appendectomy was needed. The surgeon, Dr. Evan O'Neil Kane had performed this procedure countless times in his long career. But, because of two circumstances, this was to be a unique procedure.
First, local anesthetic was used rather than general anesthetic. In other words, the patient was awake during the entire operation. Believing it to be a great risk with potentially harmful side effects, Dr. Kane was a vocal opponent of anesthesia that put the patient to sleep. And, on this occasion, he had finally found a volunteer who would allow him to test his belief that such an operation could be performed without it.
The second thing that made this operation so remarkable was this: the volunteer was also the operating physician. In an effort to prove his own theory, Dr. Kane went under his own scalpel. Using only local anesthetic, he performed an appendectomy on himself. This surgeon was so dedicated to his convictions he underwent considerable risk to prove them.
Time magazine reports that, 11 years later, Kane performed another operation on himself. He repaired an inguinal hernia. During the nearly two hour operation, Kane joked with assisting hospital staff. The only part of the surgery he couldn't perform for himself was the final two stitches. The local anesthesia had made him too drowsy, so he asked a colleague to finish.
Today at the Norfolk Church of Christ, we won't ask you to do anything so drastic. But we do want you to play a part. We want you to be dedicated. We want your worship to be active. If you are a guest with us, feel free to hang back and watch. We would love for you to be a part, too, but no one will force you. But, if you're a member, we want you to be actively engaged in worship by participating in the service and by recommitting yourself to serve God as you leave.
We don't say it enough, but our church is best experienced by being involved. We don't want spectators, we want players. We want you to be actively involved in following Jesus. We'll see that Paul expects the same thing. He gives a picture of life in Christ that is active and involved and affects our entire lives.
Praise & Worship In The Park
It's time again for our annual Praise & Worship In the Park. Next Sunday we will be meeting at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens. It all starts with breakfast being served at 10 a.m. Our worship service will follow. Immediately after worship lunch will be served. Please bring a side dish, drinks and dessert. We expect lots of guests. After lunch you can feel free to enjoy the park for the rest of the day. You can sign up to tour the gardens by tram. Unfortunately, there are no longer boat tours available at the gardens. There is a children's garden called The World Of Wonders. You can get wet in this area. Please be prepared by bringing towels or a change of clothes. Also, you are required to wear shoes at all times. You may want an extra pair. Finally we are asking that our members contribute $5 per person to offset the cost of this event. You can pay Deborah, or Brandi. See you there! Email church@norfolkcoc.org for more into.
LIFE Groups
Welcome to LIFEgroup Sunday. Today you'll get to hear about the different small groups that meet throughout Hampton Roads. If you're looking to get to know others or study the Bible in a small group setting, I encourage to check one out.
I'll be talking a lot less this morning (no really, I mean it), so you can have a chance to visit with leaders from as many LIFEgroups as you like. Here is some info and the location of each LIFEgroup's table throughout the building:
Fellowship Hall
- Crescita
- When: Sunday Nights
- Who: Anyone
- Where: Portsmouth
- Waterview
- When: Friday Nights
- Who: Anyone
- Where: Portsmouth
- Oasis
- When: Sunday Nights
- Who: Young Families
- Where: Portsmouth, Western Branch, Va. Beach
- Young Marrieds
- When: Sunday Nights
- Who: Young Couples
- Where: Norfolk
- Young Professionals (Still forming)
- When: Sunday Nights
- Who: Young Singles
- Where: Norfolk
- Lighthouse
- When: Sunday Nights
- Who: Families
- Where: Va. Beach
- Teens
- When: Sunday Nights
- Who: 7-12th Grade
- Where: Norfolk Church of Christ
Lars and the Real Girl
It’s always nice to stumble upon a movie and really like it. You know what I mean? You hadn’t planned on watching a movie, there’s not one that you’re just dying to see, so you go to the video store or you pull up the On Demand channel and just see what’s there. But even after you look at the options you can’t find anything that you were really wanting to see.
Rachel and I had that experience a while back with Lars and the Real Girl. This movie didn’t completely come out of nowhere for me. I remember that it was well received by critics and that it received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay and that Ryan Gosling was nominated for a Golden Globe in the category of Best Actor. In addition, it had been recommended by friends whose opinions I respect.
And still I wasn’t rushing out to see it. I think because I had misunderstood what it was about. I knew that it was about an awkward introvert (Lars/Ryan Gosling) who is so socially anxious and yet so lonely that he resorts to ordering a life-sized doll on the internet. I thought this was going to be some mad-cap comedy, a farce. I was wrong. What happens is extremely funny, but it’s also very moving and humane.
I don’t want to say much more about it other than the fact that Rachel and I both came away thinking it was one of the best movies we’d seen in a long time (particularly because it was such a surprise). I’ll give you time to see it and then I’ll say more.
The genius of the film is the way that “the real girl” actually becomes real and in the way that this small town reacts both to her and to Lars. I dare not say more, because it’s best seen for yourself. I’ll just say that there are lessons to be learned from this movie about kindness and compassion.
They may be lessons that are coming soon to a Sunday morning near you.
Who Are You?
I've always wanted to be somebody, but I see now I should have been more specific.
--Lily Tomlin
It's good to be back. As I write this on Thursday, I'm assuming that I've continued to feel better and that, on Sunday morning, I'm actually with you again. I have no specific reason to think that this won't be the case. I'm not sick as I write this. But then again, I didn't write last week's article thinking I would be so "indisposed" when Sunday actually rolled around (I hear Keith had a more colorful description of my status). Thanks, by the way, to Keith for stepping in. It's nice to have somebody like him around-someone who thinks enough and who thinks well enough to have something worth saying at a moment's notice.
So here we all are once again, whoever "we" is. If you're reading this, then you are among the "we." If you're not reading this, then...why am I even talking to you? I guess I'm actually not. That made my brain hurt a little bit.
It's really amazing how much I assume. I am typing this out on Thursday assuming that there will be a Sunday in a few days. I am also assuming that, on that Sunday, I will be at Norfolk Church of Christ. I am assuming that I won't be the only one there. I am assuming that some of you will be joining me. As I type it, I can imagine the specific people who will be here and reading this on Sunday morning. In doing that, I am making two assumptions: that you have actually made it, and that you, the one I'm picturing, are actually reading this. I'm not exactly crazy for making these assumptions. If the past is any indicator (and it usually is), I can make some reasonable assumptions. But, still, I could be wrong on all of these counts.
I guess what I'm saying is that we all have to make assumptions-a lot of them. We have to make them in order to keep from going crazy, in order to have some sense of reality and security. Can you imagine how scary the world would be if we couldn't reasonably expect some things to happen? If all of life were chaotic and random?
This includes my identity. I have reason to believe that I am still me. Every morning I wake up and the person in the mirror, although he has changed over time, is still me. But even though I've known myself as long as anyone, my knowledge is still limited. You might even say that every day I have to rediscover who I am.
And sometimes I lose sight of who I am. I forget. The same problem is happening with the church in Colosse. One of the reasons that Paul is writing is in order to remind them about who they really are, that they "have been raised with Christ" (Colossians 3:1). My hope is to remind those of you who are followers of Christ that the same is true of you.
Steven Curtis Chapman Interview
Man. How does 2 months go by without a post? (Not including bulletin articles, that is. Thanks, Ray.) And what could possibly draw me out of my hibernation? This interview with Steven Curtis Chapman, his wife, Mary Beth, and their oldest three children.
As you no doubt remember, Steven's and Mary Beth's youngest daughter was killed in an accident back in May. One of their sons, Will Franklin, was pulling into the drive way when five year old Maria ran in front the car.
This interview appeared on Good Morning America on Wednesday, 08/06. Go get yourself a box of tissues and have a look. I know I have a reputation for making folks cry, but I'm not just trying to get you all worked up here. I am in awe.
I am in awe of how this family is courageously grieving this unimaginable loss. I am in awe of a dad who could have the presence of mind to show such Amazing Grace to his son, even in the early moments of this tragedy. I am in awe of these parents and kids who are finding a way to grieve and how yet how their faith remains intact.
I don't know if I would be that strong. I don't ever want to find out.
When you have ten minutes or so, go watch it by clicking here and then leave a comment below. Astounding.
Men's Prayer Breakfast
Men's Game Night
Blood Drive
Good Advice
Back in 1991, author H. Jackson Brown published a book entitled Life's Little Instruction Book: 511 Suggestions, Observations, and Reminders on How to Live a Happy and Rewarding Life. It was a small book, each page containing a single nugget of wisdom. They were written by Brown to his son upon graduating from school. So you can imagine that, when I graduated high school in 1992, Life's Little Instruction Book was a hot little graduation gift. I received multiple copies.
Interestingly, the other day I looked everywhere and couldn't find a single copy in my house. Fortunately I was able to find quite a few samples on the internet. Here are some of my favorites, taken from the website http://www.flatrock.org.nz.
- Accept a breath mint if someone offers you one.
- In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
- Accept the fact that regardless of how many times you're right, you will sometimes be wrong.
- Don't confuse comfort with happiness.
- Check for toilet paper before sitting down.
- Marry a woman you love to talk to. As you get older, her conversational skills will be as important as any other.
- Never say anything uncomplimentary about your wife or children in the presence of others.
- Every once in a while ask yourself the question, If money weren't a consideration, what would I like to be doing?
- Never eat a sugared doughnut when wearing a dark suit.
- Love someone who doesn't deserve it.
Testify
Perhaps you've been following the story of the two former Navy SEAL's who are currently serving a life sentence for committing murder back in 1995. Billy Joe Brown and Dustin Turner were both convicted of the murder of Jennifer Evans outside of a bar in Virginia Beach.
At the time of their arrest, the two defendants accused each other while proclaiming their own innocence. Turner did, however, admit to helping his former SEAL "swim buddy" dispose of Evans' body and cover up the crime.
The story has been in the news again recently because Brown is now testifying that Turner is telling the truth. Back in may, Brown appeared in court and gave testimony saying that he alone was responsible for the murder and that Turner was only responsible for helping him cover up the crime after the fact.
The hearing was convened to determine Brown's credibility. Of course the big question that everyone wanted to ask was, "Why change your story now?" Brown testified that it was because he had become a Christian. He told the court room that he was "here to glorify Jesus Christ by telling the truth." Later he said that he "knew immediately in (his) heart (he) had to tell..."[*]
Just recently, the circuit court judge found Brown's testimony to be credible. Turner is petitioning for release from jail based on the time he's already served for his part in covering up the crime.
This is still a tragic story. Brown and Turner both committed a terrible crime. The Virginian-Pilot article included a picture of Janet Evans' mother wiping away a tear at the hearing. Brown's confession can only do so much good.
But it's compelling to hear Brown talk about how his relationship with Christ has changed him. Part of me is cynical about this sudden conversion. But it's hard to tell how Brown has anything to gain. At the end of the day he went back to the jail where he'll spend the rest of his life.
In court, Brown was asked what he expects to happen next. Brown replied: "Whatever the good Lord wills. I'm not worried...because I have a clean heart before God."
God's grace can bring people to offer up pretty powerful testimonies. When God changes a life, it's hard for that person not to talk about it. The question for us this morning is: "What would our testimony be? What do you have to say about how God has changed your life?" I hope you'll think about it this morning.
[*] All of the quotes from this story come from Bill Sizemore's article in the 5/29/08 issue of The Virginian Pilot.
[*] All of the quotes from this story come from Bill Sizemore's article in the 5/29/08 issue of The Virginian Pilot.
Harvest
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)
As you probably know, this church chooses a theme for each year. This year's is "Changing Lives Through Jesus." One of our previous themes was "Let the little children come to me..." Throughout that year we focused on the many ways we are called to minister to the children among us. We reminded each other how much Jesus loves children. We reminded ourselves that this congregation has A LOT of children and how it seems that God is calling on us to focus on our ministry to children. We highlighted all of the different ways this church cares for kids.
Sometimes I feel like it's our theme every year. I love this year's theme and mission, but I look around and it's clear to me that our mission to care for children hasn't changed. And I'm so thankful that there are so many in this congregation who haven't forgotten that either. Long before we ever had a theme that highlighted our ministry to kids, there were people who worked tirelessly to care for the many children that God brings our way. And, even though that theme has come and gone, the ministry continues.
Last week reminded me of that. If you look around the auditorium you'll see evidence of it. You'll see the stage is decorated to look like a farm. You'll see kids covered in fading tattoos that remind them to "Chews Love" and "Jump for Joy."
It was all a part of VBS 2008-a week where over 50 kids came here every day to have fun and learn about Jesus. They made crafts. They played games. They had snacks. They sang, REALLY LOUDLY. And they learned about Jesus.
All week, the kids learned about how God grows fruit in our lives. The fruit you can see talked about in the quote above. But, more than learning about it, they saw it. They saw it in all of the people who took care of them-the people who showed love, the people who exhibited patience, the people who filled their lives with joy.
This morning, we're going to look at that those same fruits. It's a pretty great way to talk about how God changes lives. And showing those fruits is a pretty great way to teach our kids about them. I'll say more about that later on. For now, let me just say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. To those who have already demonstrated the fruits of the spirit this week. God Bless you.
Son Harvest County Fair
Welcome to Vacation Bible School week at Norfolk Church of Christ. Countless hours have been put in organizing, preparing and decorating for the grand opening tomorrow morning.
This year's theme will allow the children to focus on the fruits of the spirit while participating in crafting projects, Bible stories, skits, and fun outside activities. We hope that all our children will come and bring a friend to share God's word. Vacation Bible School stands alone as one of the greatest outreach tools we have for young children. We encourage you to take advantage of it.
Here's what you need to know about VBS this week. It starts tomorrow at 9 a.m. sharp. Pre-registration is not required, but it is helpful. Vacation Bible School is available for all children Kindergarten through 6th grade. If you are helping with the program, a nursery and a preschool class will be available for your child. VBS is Monday through Friday.
On Friday at noon all parents are invited back to see their children in a special program. The kids will be learning songs and stories. They will help retell everything they've learned during the week. The program will be followed by a light lunch in the fellowship hall. See Deborah Cuthrell to find out what to bring.
Vacation Bible School is an exciting program for everyone who participates. If you need further information or want to know how you can help see Jill Lowell after the services this morning.
We'll see you at the fair!