ECCE Sketch

(say "etch-a")

A NOTE FROM THE PASTOR

Fall Series: Sketching the Disciple

In September we used the newsletter to publish the back-story that was leading us toward calling a Pastoral intern. Now we are returning, as promised, to the discipleship theme.

In August I presented RASSL, a small group emphasis on discipleship structured on Reading (the whole Bible in a year), Accountability (in the shared commitments), Service (in community ministry), Sharing (small group meeting), and Leadership (rotating devotions in the small group meeting). A handful of people have responded, expressing varying degrees of interest and doubt. I have remained true to my rule that I would not issue any personal invitations. The group gathers as disciples of Jesus only, and your invitation will come from the still, small voice of Jesus Christ, not from me.

Based on feedback it appears that some are giving this consideration, and are contributing suggestions to the vision. One raised the objection that, while interested in reading the Bible in a year, the idea of keeping a journal was off-putting. I reassured that person that the idea of a journal is not to require daily entries; it is simply another way to be open to the Spirit of God. No one in a discipleship group will be required to share their journal.

It may be that instead of Saturdays, the Sunday time-frame of 5 PM will become the discussion time for the RASSL group. That is only a suggestion that has been raised. Currently that is the slot for Bringing My World to Christ prayer. Given the emphasis of RASSL, perhaps this combination makes sense. You are invited to continue to think and to pray and to pay attention to the leading of God.

What follows is a description of the greatest challenge we face to daily discipleship.

Disciples II * , Spiritual Soil

Many of us suffer from a big spiritual problem that we are unable to name or even recognize. This spiritual problem is that we are distracted disciples. Our distractions are described in Matthew 13.

Here Jesus tells a parable in which he describes four soils that receive the seed of God’s word. One is the unturned, packed ground of the pathway where the seed has no opportunity to sprout. One has a shallow surface of arable soil, but the roots cannot go deep and the plants wither before they are mature. The fourth is good soil yielding a plentiful harvest.

The third soil is filled with thorns and weeds; the seed tries to grow among them but is choked. Jesus describes the meaning of this third soil type: The thorns and weeds are the cares of the world and the deceptions of wealth, which make the seed of the gospel unfruitful (Matthew 13:22).

Much of the church in the prosperous western world occupies that third type of soil. We are sprouts on good ground, but that ground has been sown with the cares of the world and the deceptions of wealth, and the Holy Spirit is being squeezed. The cares of the world are the priorities we set in the pursuit of wealth which distract us from putting the gospel and God’s own glory first in our lives.

Our priorities are reflected in the amount of time we give to Jesus Christ. The primary New Testament model for our personal relationship to Jesus Christ is that he is our Teacher, and we are his Disciples. Before a student can learn anything, the student must be present with the teacher. The first duty, obligation, and responsibility of a disciple is to give time to the teacher.

“Who can find that kind of time?” we ask, thinking this is our excuse, when in fact it is our indictment. We are choking the Holy Spirit with our distractions, but we are so caught up in the deceptions of wealth that do not know how we are perceived. Our whole world, after all, is functioning this way. And that is the point. James writes that “friendship with the world is hatred toward God” (James 4:4).

It is time for Christians to be set apart in how we choose to spend our time. It is time for you and me to allow the Holy Spirit in our lives to breathe in us and through us

If it seems impossible to you to find the time to give to Jesus to be your teacher, than please pray about it. Perhaps you need God’s help to move mountains or mulberry trees, to part waters or to walk on them. As with the teaching emphasis on tithing and stewardship in the Fall of 2007, we discover that when we give to God first, our priorities are realigned and we discover possibilities we did not know existed.

The same is true when we put learning from Jesus Christ at the top of our list, with a commitment to read the scriptures through in twelve months. We will be surprised at how much time it takes, even half an hour a day. We will also be surprised at how we find that time--by turning off the television, the phone, and the computer, for those precious 30 minutes. Whether at the beginning of the day, during the day, or at the end, giving that focused time to Jesus Christ will be honored. He will meet you there and you will learn, because you are his disciple.

* “Disciples I, The Challenge” appears in the August 2009 ECCE Sketch

In Christ,

Pastor Jonathan

Church Calendar

Oct 6            Flannel Shirt                                 8:00 am

Oct 6            CE Meeting                                  3:30

Oct 8            Council                                          6:30

Oct 13          Women Ministries                       7:00

Oct 14          Choir Practice Resumes              7:00

Oct 17          Men Working                               9:00 am

Oct 18          Tom & Janice Kelly

Oct 25          Leadership Meeting                    8:30 am

Oct 30          Worship Meeting                         8:00 am

Nov 1           Daylight Saving Time Ends

TEAM REPORTS

CE

There is an organized substitute list and teachers ready for 1st – 4th grade students and Nursery. Children’s Church age groups for fall 2009:

   Nursery: 0 – 2 meets in nursery

   Primary: 3 – kindergarten meets in upstairs toddler room. Teachers: Val and Jeff Lennard

   Intermediate: grade 1 – grade 4 meets in downstairs room

   Wednesday night adult Bible study or spiritual growth 5:00 – 6:00 is beginning Wed Sept 23.

Nursery schedule for October and November:

Property

The boiler leak is repaired. We found a major leak due to incorrect original installation near where a repair was made 30 years ago. Boiler was acid-soaked to remove minerals which would have destroyed the boiler very soon even though it is only 2 years old. The expansion tank was replaced and securely supported. The water heater was replaced. The pipe leak in men’s bathroom is repaired.

Outreach

Brochure and questionnaire regarding “who we are” was presented for general discussion at congregational chat Sept 20 so we all have a better idea of “who we are” for marketing purposes. The questionnaire is on the last page, please fill out the form and return it by October 18^th.

Leadership

Leadership team asked Grace to be in charge of kitchen management so everyone knows who to ask about where things are stored, ordering supplies, etc. Grace has graciously accepted, and we are all very thankful for her generous donation of leadership since many various groups use the kitchen.

Don Lottes has been asked to be temporary property chair through the end 2009. He also has generously accepted. Property tasks are highly varied and it’s very helpful for everyone to know a single contact regarding property rather than wondering whom to contact about a problem or assuming an incorrect contact and being disappointed that a task isn’t done. Thankfully, Don has several helpers who are very willing to assist whenever they’re called.

Women Ministries

THE

MASTER

PAINTER

The Head of Christ by Warner E. Sallman, which is one of the most popular paintings of Jesus Christ, will be featured in a program entitled The Master Painter at the Women Ministries meeting on Friday, November 13^th at 7 pm. A dinner will precede the meeting at 6 pm.

The Reverend LeRoy L. Carlson who is the founder and president of The Warner E. Sallman Art Collection, Inc., will give an inspirational and informative presentation on Warner Sallman, and the art for which he is most famous. Mr. Sallman was a master painter, and painted Jesus Christ the Master.

The famous and familiar Head of Christ, was painted by Mr. Sallman in 1940, and now with his other images has been reproduced around the world over one billion times. In the power point presentation of over on hundred sixty slides, are over forty images painted by Mr. Sallman, along with pictures of his life, the life of Christ, and appropriate scripture passages. Some Sallman items will be f or sale after the program. More information may be found on the web-site www.sallmanart.org.

Missions

In January we are planning a bandage-rolling work bee to benefit the Paul Carlson Medical Mission to the Congo. Men and women please set aside Saturday, January 16^th for work, fellowship, and a pizza lunch. We are accepting donations of old, clean bed sheets to cut into bandages. You can bring the sheets and drop them off in church library at any time.