Communion Meditation

“THE GOD WHO LOVES BOLDLY”

By Max Lucado

God, I have a question:  Why do you love your children? Why do you tolerate us? You give us every breath we breathe, but do we thank you? You give us bodies beyond duplication, but do we praise you?

Seldom.

We complain about the weather. We argue over who gets which continent and who has the best gender. Not a second passes when someone, somewhere, doesn't use your name to curse a hammered thumb or a bad call by the umpire. (As if it were your fault.)

You fill the world with food, but we blame you for hunger. You keep the earth from tilting and the arctics from thawing, but we accuse you of unconcern. You give us blue skies, and we demand rain. You give rain, and we demand sun. (As if we knew what was best anyway.)

We give more applause to a brawny ball-carrier than we do to the God who made us. We are a gnat on the tail of one elephant in a galaxy of Africas, and yet we demand that you find us a parking place when we ask. And if you don't give us what we want, we say you don't exist. (As if our opinion matters.)

We pollute the world you loan us. We mistreat the bodies you gave us. We ignore the Word you sent us. And we killed the Son you sent.

You have every reason to abandon us. But do you?

I see the answer in the rising of the sun. I hear the answer in the crashing of the waves. I feel the answer in the skin of a child.

Father, your love never ceases. Never. Though we spurn you, ignore you, disobey you, you will not change. Our evil cannot diminish your love. Our goodness cannot increase it. Our faith does not earn it anymore than our stupidity jeopardizes it. You don't love us less if we fail. You don't love us more if we succeed.

Your love never ceases. How do we explain it?

 God's love is not human. His love is not normal. His love sees your sin and loves you still. Does he approve of your error? No. Do you need to repent? Yes. But do you repent for his sake or yours? Yours. His ego needs no apology. His love needs no bolstering.

   And he could not love you more than he does right now

– Seen in THRIVE, www.thriveministry.net

ETHEL SHERMAN WILL BE 101 in 19 days (23^rd).  While she’s unable to read cards & notes because of vision loss, she has a friend in her apartment complex who reads her mail for her.  It’s hard to imagine but she still does her own laundry, cleans her apartment, goes to church and, she likes to say, “Visit the elderly.” J You can send a card to: [Contact me and I’ll provide the address – we don’t put personal addresses on the Internet]

BETH MARSH was happy to discover that it was not a tumor behind her eye that was bothering her vision.  She’ll see the eye doctor Feb. 14^th for further evaluation.

JUNE ROUTSON (wife of the late Pastor Ellsworth Routson) on Jan. 25^th or 26^th had a stroke.  She was admitted to a hospital and on Jan. 29^th began therapy.  Her daughter Etta Marie wrote last Thursday: She will have physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. She must continually make progress in order to stay in the program.    The doctor said the blockage that caused her stroke was in the brain stem. In terms of the future we are talking about weeks, not days, maybe even months before she leaves the hospital … I am more optimistic that she will recover some health.  Right now she cannot use her left arm or leg, cannot stand alone, cannot cut food or hold a glass, can not pull herself into a sitting position.  But she is very alert and didn't lose any memory.

    We would welcome prayers for her recovery.  Thank you.

– Etta Marie (Routson) and Conrad Wetzel

PASTOR RAY HALL, as of last Wednesday. is done with chemotherapy.  If any further treatments are deemed necessary when checked in 2 weeks, they will use radiation to finish off the “shadow” of a tumor that remains.  He’s doing church work but is glad to get home in the evenings to rest – he’s still not back to full strength.  Keep him and his family in your prayers.

DAVE CHEATWOOD: Thanks for your prayers, cards, notes, e-mails, etc. I came home 1-31 … At the moment the Dr. is saying it could take 9 months to clear these blood clots. I have them in both lungs and the big one is resting between the lungs. … The knee is coming along very well. I am walking without crutches and have left the walker behind. I will need to use a cane for a while, especially on my walks.

            I love you all and trust God is blessing and encouraging you in your efforts to live for Him and His glory. 

– In His love, Dave Cheatwood

Daytime TV

I’ve been ill this past week and went home from the office a couple times during the week to rest.  I can’t believe what they’re showing on daytime TV!  One woman was a “ghost buster” with people calling in and saying things like, “I live in an apartment and I’m just sure there are ghost in here.”   The lady, with a straight face, said “Yes, apartments are notorious for spirit ghosts because there are so many spirits living under one roof.”   Another woman on another day was helping people in the audience find lost articles.  A woman said her daughter had died and they couldn’t find her jewelry – some the mother had made.  The woman closes her eyes and then says, “Your daughter gave all her jewelry away.”  And advertisers spend big bucks for this stuff?   How God must groan.

PRAY FOR: June Routson (stroke), Dave Cheatwood (clots), Rebekah Martin (broken wrist), Bob Knebl (heart, by R Cain),Amy Gunselman (cancer, 30, 2 children / by R Phillis), Cathy Panyard (untimely death of husband / by K Cain), Evelyn Pennington, Katie Cramer (chemo), Pastor Ray Hall (chemo), Ralph & Iona Childs, Ruby Korode, Penny Frederick, Lucinda (by Szekely), Gene & Gloria Faehnrich, Edith Speer, Grady Hudspeth*, Jacob Hinton*, Kathy & Destiny Reed*, (*by Skip), W.C. & Craig Blankenship, College students: Jackie Schuld, Dan Cain, Rachel Cunningham, Shut-ins: David Onderdonk Sr., Helen Matthews, Military: Rodger Schuld, Those serving in other countries: Lupe Badillo - Mexico, Tracy Zhykhovich - Russia, Beder Ucañay - Peru, Pastors in Malawi &  Mozambique, Lesly Bertrand and the Pastors in Haiti. Colleges / Churches: RRCC, ABC, Golden Rule, Grace Breth­ren and for the peace of Je­ru­sa­lem, Ps. 122:6; Isa. 62:6,7.

February 2007

23         Ethel Sherman’s 101^st Birthday

25         Any Griffith movie / Rachel Weaver leading discussion

Future Dates: Mar 18, Ch Outing / Apr 8, Easter / Jun 3, Grad Social & Bridal Shower for Dan & Rachel / Jun 10-15 State Camp / July 15-20 National Camp / July 22, D. Onderdonk’s Sr. 100^th Birthday / Aug 26, Annual SS Picnic

Musicians: (Sharon Cain & Frank Roper)

Welcome / Announcements

Worship Hymns / Mark Cain

447 ‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus

420 Take Time to Be Holy

Prayer / Offering

Message: God Does Not Lie

Key Texts: Job 31:2-6; Titus 1:2; Jer 33:14; 2 Sam 7:11-13; Lk 2:29-32;

Lk 21:25-36; 1 Cor 15:24-28; Rev 20:6; Matt 26:26-29

Communion

205 God’s Promises Are Sure