Acts 20:7-12
How to keep youth from falling asleep in church.
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What Are You Covering Up?
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It is autumn in Ohio. We've had a few sunny days where one can see the fall colors of the trees.
The color of the leaves do not change from green to red, yellow, and orange. The colors are in the leaves. We just can't see other colors in the summer, because they are covered up by the activity of food producing chlorophyll. Only when the green chlorophyll leaves the leaves in the autumn can we see the true colors. What colors your life? What overwhelms all else so that when you look in the mirror that is all you see, all you let anyone see? Some new friends have had all the life sucked out of them. A vicious attack has left them dealing with a long term rehabilitation that means losing job, home, and their planned path into the future. |  |
I hope it doesn't take trauma to let you look deeper into your life to see the colors that are there waiting to discovered when the green leaves.
When Fear Leaves; Grace Appears
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.
- John Newton, Amazing Grace
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From our Song and Service A Light to the Heights worship Sunday, Oct 18th
Bible Reading: Luke 19:1-10 Acts 8:26-40
Videos:
Jason McElway Autistic Basketball Hero via YouTube
from The Early Show on CBS
Greece Athena High School basketball from CBS The Early Show
Did Jason Behave his way into Belonging? Where is Belief?
How did different matter in belonging?
More about Jason
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‘I Am Tired of Lies’ via YouTube
from “The Outcast” Star Trek: The Next Generation
What is normal? Do we fix people to fit in?
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“I Am Gay” scene from In & Out
(Commencement scene where everyone "comes out" as "gay" )
Scene not available on-line
Not about the “Gay Thing” What is it about?
How did Behavior Beliefs and Belonging work out?
Who changed to fit in?
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Acts 8:26-40
Luke 19:1-10
Different ways of coming to faith in Jesus.
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When Do You Join a Group?
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When a "new" member comes down from the choir loft to "join" the church... I can't help thinking she belonged to the church sometime before answering the official questions of membership that day in worship.
Tim Keel of Jacob's Well in Kansas City talks about the difference between Believe-Behave-Belong of evangelical churches and the emergent churches style of Belong-Behave-Believe in a Christian Century article. In the first you join (belong) after you believe and behave: go through classes, confess your faith or be baptized, refrain from committing the targeted sin(s) of the group...THEN you are one of us. |  |
Either way ends up at the same place. I'm pretty sure our congregation has both people who started with belief and moved to belonging and those who belonged first and then believed.
If you are stuck going one way...try the other. Just can't believe first? Try belonging and behaving as if you did, participating in worship, ministry and mission. Don't feel like you belong? Exercise your faith in study, prayer, confession, and scripture with others. Partner with others in an expression of faith.
Whichever way works for you, the choir has a place for you to sing praises on your way.
Belonging before Behaving
He entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today." So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, "He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner." Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much." Then Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost."- Luke 19:1-10
Bible quotation from The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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