Monthly Archives: August 2023

Mary’s Corner

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Beloved Church and Friends,

I owe you an apology. My sermon on Sunday about the irrelevance of the church to most young people failed to include the very important point that without all of you, there wouldn’t be a church for them to find irrelevant. I would not be in church if not for you. And your love and life experience are just what these young souls are missing in their lives. I cannot wait to be in ministry WITH YOU as we show the next generations the blessings of being in fellowship with other people. I do not want to experience church without you! 

It looks like we have another week to ten days of this oppressive heat. I see some temperatures in the 70’s later next week, only reaching the 90’s. I am looking forward to getting back to double-digit temperatures. Continue to stay indoors unless it is absolutely necessary and drink enough water to keep yourself hydrated. If you need anything we are available to assist. Also, our nemesis COVID is back with a vengeance. Hospital admissions remain very low but the new variant is very dangerous. Please be sure and wash your hands, stay home and rest if you are sick, and wear a mask if your immune system is compromised. There will be a vaccine booster for this new strain coming soon. I will keep you up to date on what is happening.

My love to all! I ask for your prayers as I travel this week to Arkansas for the funeral of a dear, life-long family friend. My mother and I will be leaving Thursday afternoon and returning Saturday.

Blessings, Mary

Kids’ News

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Our story this week was about a Festival of Weeks. This is not something that we hear a lot about, but in looking closely, it resembles our Thanksgiving. The Israelites are instructed to celebrate with everyone. Their families, their servants, anyone who lives in their city, and immigrants among them, they were to remember the widows and orphans. Both the poor and the marginalized were included in this celebration and were allowed to enjoy and partake in the blessings of the land.

Today the festival is filled with prayers and thanksgiving to God for fruitfulness. Many people stayed up all night studying the Torah. The Book of Ruth is read during Shavuot. The story of Ruth reminds God’s people of Ruth’s sacrifices which were rewarded by God’s steadfast mercy and love. The words are familiar: “Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.” The primary purpose of this festival was for people to show gratitude for all they have.

This week, the kids enjoyed painting watering cans and next week we will fill them with painted flowers. This weather has taken a toll on our flowers, so we are painting wooden ones! See you Sunday.

Blessings

2326 – “Homework with the Johns”

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Watch the full service on our YouTube channel by clicking here.

Register your attendance

John 3:16-21 New International Version

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

Friday’s Word

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John Stoehr of Yale says that most evangelical preachers pay almost no attention to the Sermon on the Mount.

And many Christians don’t agree with the core of it.

Stoehr must be a smart guy. I’ve been saying the same thing for years.

I’ll talk about that next week. This week, I must talk about the concert at St. Matthew Saturday night.

Six o’clock. Dinner after.

Our concerts help support Friday’s Word and other aspects of our outreach.

They are important.

They are also free.

But we do pass that plate.

And we have a great time. (I promise.)

This concert is called Hymns and Sounds Like.

There are three hymns, but the other eight songs are the “sounds like”—pop songs that could be hymns with a couple of word changes.

Like, say, You’ve got a Friend. It has always reminded me of Jesus’ words on prayer.

And our great soloist, Shannon Davidson, will sing Dolly Parton’s I Will Always Love You. Dolly wrote it for someone who was very mad at her.

What about You Raise Me Up? I know—it’s a love song. But I think of Jesus every time.

Throw in a few great old hymns and we end up with a very spiritual and very uplifting evening.

I will sing, too. And tell a story. Four singers, all together.

These monthly concerts take a lot of work. I expect good attendance.

Don’t disappoint me.

Don’t make me have to call you or knock on your door. Just come and enjoy.

That’s Saturday, Aug. 19.

At 6:00.

Plan to stay and eat.

(Not live-streamed.)