Slideshow image

Our Roots nights are coming to an end here in the month of May. On Wednesday, I was able to share devotions before the meal on being hungry and how Jesus is the Bread of Life who fulfills our spiritual hunger. After a great meal thanks to Bobbie Davis and others, we enjoyed our Wednesday evening activities. I had the opportunity to be with the youth that evening and what a great group of young disciples we have in our youth group. Thanks to Morgan Holzhauer and Laurie O’Donnell and the many adults who are investing in our young people each week.

I wrote the first sermon in our summer preaching series this week. We will be looking at the life of David over the summer months and the sermon for June 1 will consider how David is called a man after God’s own heart. David was Israel’s greatest king. He wrote Psalms and won many battles, but he was a flawed leader. I am looking forward to this series as there are so many life lessons we can glean from David. He is our hero of faith we will be learning from this summer.

I was able to visit Ralph Kreider and Bill Welch in the hospital several times this week. Bill went into the hospital on Monday and as a result he was unable to attend his high school class reunion luncheon on Tuesday at Hershey Farms. Not wanting to see his paid for meal go to waste, he insisted that Ruth and I take his place at the Tuesday luncheon. We agreed and had a wonderful time. We were able to be seated with Don and Carol Trimble, and I saw several from that 1960 Solanco Graduating class that I knew. I want to thank Bill and Carolyn for blessing Ruth and I for the opportunity to go in their place.

Planning has begun for our summer worship services which will begin June 1 at 9:30 am. There is something special about being together in one service during the summer months. We are planning a child dedication service in July and baptism service for the end of June. In addition, we had a FAM JAM planning meeting this week and that looks like it will be an amazing weekend in early August. And of course, summer would be incomplete without Southern End Celebration Sunday in late August. Summer is always challenging for planning with vacations, reunions, camps, and more people on the move but we believe that this can be an amazing summer of Christian growth for many of us.

Next Wednesday is our Spring Congregational Business meeting at 7:00 pm. The packet of information and reports are available in the gathering area. Please make the effort to be in attendance and we have much to report and take action on. Also coming up starting Wednesday, June 3 at 6:30 pm in Room 14 is a summer adult bible study entitled “Navigating Genesis” which is a RightNow Media study focused on Genesis 1-2. Led by a scientist who became a pastor, this study looks at questions like, “Is putting science and the Bible together as bad idea?” and “Why Does God Rest?” It will look at science confirms what we believe and know from Scripture. This will run for two months and conclude the end of July. All are welcome as we begin this engage study of Genesis 1-2.

Been living in the Old Testament with my devotions this week and in particular the life of Nehemiah. What an amazing leader he was. After reading about numerous kings who failed to follow the Lord, reading about Nehemiah standing tall for the Lord and rebuilding the walls and the gates of Jerusalem was refreshing. Nehemiah was the cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes and he gave up that cushy position to rebuild the walls and become the governor of Jerusalem. What I find most encouraging of Nehemiah as a leader is how committed he was to prayer. He reminds me that my best ministry is often simply praying for you in the quiet of the morning Monday through Thursday. Please know that you are prayed for regularly as I seek to follow the example of Nehemiah.

Let me end with this what was shared with the youth Wednesday evening. Did you know that the word Christian appears only three times in the New Testament? In Acts, 11:26, we find the first usage where it says the disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. The use of the word “Christian” which means “little Christ” was meant to be a derogatory term. It was a way of putting down the disciples. Interestingly, the word disciple appears 261 times in the New Testament. We are called to be followers of Christ who are ever maturing disciples of Jesus. Our study from Wednesday night noted five qualities of Jesus that should mark the life of a disciple. Like Jesus, disciples are to be worshipers, committed to the family of God, servants, stewards, and witnesses of the Gospel. Pretty good teaching for disciples of any age!

It looks to be a beautiful weekend that will culminate in honoring our Mothers for Mother’s Day. On Sunday, we will honor the women of our church and talk about the first family from Genesis and answer that very tricky question from our young disciples—Did Adam and Eve have bellybuttons? Bring your Mom as we celebrate Moms and continue our “Questions from Young Disciples” series on Sunday. Have a blessed weekend and I will look for you on Sunday as we continue together to become more and more like Jesus.

It is Friday…but Sunday’s coming!

Pastor Kevin