Fellowship of Believers

I was told last night that today is a NATIONAL HOLIDAY. Someone we know turns 14 today. I won't name names . . . but I think you know!



Easter is just a few short days away. You know, most preachers get more nervous about the Easter Sunday sermon than any other of the year. The reasons are obvious: each year, we tell the same story. And each year, the same crowd shows up (some of whom, sadly, we haven't seen since Easter last year!) It's a challenge to us to think of a new way to tell an old story, to think up some gimmick that will wow the crowd, will drive the message home, or will simply not embarrass us.

Which must be why many of the preaching commentaries warn preachers about letting their method get in the way of their message:

Easter is an opportunity for preachers to lay bare the good news of Jesus Christ and get out of the way. Too often, preachers, in their well intended desire to create "dynamic" sermons, inadvertently prevent listeners from hearing about the resurrection power of Christ. Like some commercials during the Super Bowl - everyone remembers the humorous content but nobody remembers the product advertised - so too our sermons can become entertaining discourses without any clear, convicting message about the life-giving and life-changing power of Christ. -- Charles Reeb

Here's hoping we'll hear The Message loud and clear this Sunday, no matter what the preacher says!




Speaking of this Sunday, we'll have the Easter Egg Hunt at 9:45 with the little ones. We'll need a few expert egg-hiders earlier, so if you've got a cotton tail and/or floppy ears, be sure to show up.




We also will decorate our Living Cross this Sunday. Please bring fresh flowers to adorn the cross - it's always such a beautiful part of our Easter!





The Anniversary Celebration is just a few days away! Next Sunday, April 11th, is the Important Day! We'll have a Special Worship Service at 10:30 with Nathan and Doug, and we'll have a reception Sunday afternoon, 2 - 5 p.m. Make plans to be there, and to invite someone to share this great day with us!

A couple of prayer concerns: Joe Henry continues to recover well from his surgery last Friday. And Carolyn Baxter will have foot surgery this Thursday. Please keep both of these in your prayers.

I'll see you Sunday!
Tracy

I noticed that, since her surgery, Abby isn't updating her blog much . . . obviously! But her parents and husband have been sending updates via email and facebook and I wanted to share the latest with you, knowing how much you've been praying.

Her surgery went very well on Tuesday. On Thursday there were some complications with her chest tube and lungs, causing incredible pain for Abby. After a very long day the issues were resolved and they were hoping for a good night last night (Thursday night). In her mother's words:

"I wanted to pass on a praise! Abby has finally gotten a little relief from the pain and after hooking up to a portable suction pump, she was able to walk about 50 steps!!! Wiped out now, but feeling like tomorrow will be a MUCH better day :) Xray again in the morning and then maybe chest tube out! Thank you for your prayers helping us make it thru this day..."

Continue to pray for Abby and Cody, the Horrells, and the Blacks - Abby's recovery will be a long road, but she's in good hands and is surrounded by prayers of hope and praise. Knowing Abby, she'll be updating her own blog in the very near future: she won't tolerate much longer other people talking for her!

See you Sunday,
Tracy

I'm sure many of you know that Abby Horrell Neinast, daughter of Steve and Tonya Horrell and our former summer intern, is going through open heart surgery this next week. Your prayers for her are important, and you can follow her progress on her blog here.

I'll see you tomorrow!
Tracy

The Book Group is Back and the New Books are In!!

We'll be reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett. (You can read about it here.) 8 copies are left that are unspoken for - they're $10 each. Call Tracy or comment in this message if you want one . . . they're going fast!

We'll begin discussion on Tuesday, March 23rd at 7 p.m. at the church!

Tracy

*Don't worry . . . that's not an advertisement for an upcoming church dinner; it's the title of Sunday's sermon!

Sunday's sermon will be taken from two scriptures for the third Sunday of Lent, Isaiah 55: 1-9 and Luke 13: 1-9. We'll read the Isaiah passage in worship, but the parable in Luke will serve as its illustration. The parable goes like this:

A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard. One day he went out to pick some figs, but he didn't find any. So he said to the gardener, "For three years I have come looking for figs on this tree, and I haven't found any yet. Chop it down! Why should it take up space?"

The gardener answered, "Master, leave it for another year. I'll dig around it and put some manure on it to make it grow. Maybe it will have figs on it next year. If it doesn't, you can have it cut down."

In my reading I came across this quote by Michael Curry:

Facing the reality of mystery and the limits of what we can know is not an excuse to stand still and look sad. Jesus is on a mission. Those who would be disciples of Jesus, who would follow in his way in the power of his Spirit, are on that mission. Much is unknown. Many questions will remain unanswered. In the end, the future is God's. As the late Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays, president of Morehouse College, says, "faith is taking your best step, and leaving the rest to God.

I hope to see you Sunday, so we can talk about manure and free food . . . all in the same sermon!

Speaking of Food, this is a First Sunday, the time when we share communion as a congregation and share groceries with the Food Pantry. Don't forget your grocery items this Sunday.

The Anniversary Celebration is just 5 1/2 weeks away! Are you ready to remember, give thanks, and dream of all that God has done, is doing, and will do with our church? It'll be a great time of renewing our friendships and our purpose as we move into the next 20 years of our church!

Keith & Kristen Getty have a beautiful hymn that I've been listening to in preparation for Sunday:

Speak, O Lord, as we come to you
to receive the food
of your holy word,
Take your truth, plant it deep in us,
shape and fashion us
in your likeness.

I'll see you Sunday,
Tracy