June 29, 2006

Remember: Summer Evening Worship this Sunday!

• Worship continues this Sunday at 6pm instead of 9:30am.  This is "come as you are" summer worship, wearing the clothing of your afternoon adventures.  Our 9:30am worship will resume in August.
• Hospitality will be before worship at 5:30pm, with light refreshments and lemonade. 
• The Prayer Team will meet at 7pm following worship with an open invitation for all who desire to participate.

Wow!  Thanks to all of you who planned, hosted and attended my surprise 45th Birthday Celebration following worship last Sunday night.  What a blessing it was to celebrate this special day with such special people!  Fr. Derek 

Why does spiritual growth take so long?  We are slow learners.  We quickly forget God's lessons and revert to our old behavior.  We have a lot to unlearn.  The Bible calls this "taking off the old self" and "putting on the new self."  We are afraid to humbly face the truth about ourselves.  Only as God is allowed to shine the light of his truth on our faults can we begin to work on them.  Growth is often painful and scary.  Every change involves a loss of some kind.  Habits take time to develop.  Your habits define your character.

There's only one way to develop the habits of Christ-like character: practice them over time!  There are no instant habits.  If you practice something over time, you get good at it.  Repetition is the mother of character and skill.  And remember that you are not doing this alone!

God began doing a good work in you, and I am sure he will continue it

until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again.  (Philippians 1:6)

Rick Warren, excerpted and adapted from The Purpose-Driven Life Journal.

Serving at God's Altar this Sunday...Angel Army Team 1 (Captain: Wes Nichols; Administrator: Julie Haarstick; Pastor: Catherine Atwood; Convener: Toni Reif); Acolytes: Adam Burnett, Holly Burnett, Forrest Boylston, Hailey Boylston; Reader: Al Krantz; Presenters: Machelle, Nicole and Austin Yearwood; Lay Eucharistic Ministers: Wes Nichols  Dick Reif; Offertory Basket Passers: Joey Haarstick; Madison Haarstick; Clare Harbin; JR West; PowerPoint: Kevin Krantz.

In our Prayers...for Greg, Sherrill Lowder's brother, who has colon cancer...for Jacqui, niece of Deb and Dan Blackwood who has been diagnosed with cancer in both breasts...for Harriett, Kathy Raynor‘s mother who has cancer...for Richard, Ginger Leppert‘s father...for Jessie Powell and Janie Lownes...for Madeline Wulff who is recuperating from a tonsillectomy... for those serving in Iraq, especially Scott, Dan Hood's brother...for Nancy and Tony Hodgson's granddaughter, Emily...for the birth (four weeks early) of Annabella Grace to Jennifer and Tony Marsico...for the birth of Eden Elizabeth to Allen and Gretchen Watts ...for Dorothy, Mary Reid's sister who is fighting lung cancer...for Ruth, Shana Blake‘s cousin...for Ed and Jean, Dick Reif's parents who are in declining health in Oklahoma...for Chris' mother, friend of Elizabeth Wagner; for Bucky, Sherrill Lowder's neighbor, who has lung cancer...for Cyteria Knight as she seeks employment...for Kara Snowman Wulff's husband, Mike, who is employed by Springs Industries and is seeking other employment...for Jeremy Lamb who leaves for more surgery in New York City next week....for Bill, Lee Frickhoeffer's uncle, who died of cancer last week.

Rest eternal grant to him, O Lord; and let light perpetual shine upon him.

May his soul, and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.