Maintenance or Mission?

This was posted on William Willimon's blog some time back. It was on my mind today.....

MAINTENANCE OR MISSION?

1. In measuring the effectiveness, the maintenance congregation asks, “How many pastoral visits are being made? The mission congregation asks, “How many disciples are being made?”

2. When contemplating some form of change, the maintenance congregation says, “If this proves upsetting to any of our members, we won’t do it.” The mission congregation says, “If this will help us reach someone on the outside, we will take the risk and do it.”

3. When thinking about change, the majority of members in a maintenance congregation ask, “How will this affect me?” The majority of members in the mission congregation ask, “Will this increase our ability to reach those outside?”

4. When thinking of its vision for ministry, the maintenance congregation says, “We have to be faithful to our past.” The mission congregation says, “We have to be faithful to our future.”

5. The pastor in the maintenance congregation says to the newcomer, “I’d like to introduce you to some of our members.” In the mission congregation the members say, “We’d like to introduce you to our pastor.”

6. When confronted with a legitimate pastoral concern, the pastor in the maintenance congregation asks, “How can I meet this need?” The pastor in the mission congregation asks, “How can this need be met?”

7. The maintenance congregation seeks to avoid conflict at any cost (but rarely succeeds). The mission congregation understands that conflict is the price of progress, and is willing to pay the price. It understands that it cannot take everyone with it. This causes some grief, but it does not keep it from doing what needs to be done.

8. The leadership style in the maintenance congregation is primarily managerial, where leaders try to keep everything in order and running smoothly. The leadership style in a mission congregation is primarily transformational, casting a vision of what can be, and marching off the map in order to bring the vision into reality.

9. The maintenance congregation is concerned with their congregation, its organizations and structure, its constitutions and committees. The mission congregation is concerned with the culture, with understanding how secular people think and what makes them tick. It tries to determine their needs and their points of accessibility to the Gospel.

10. When thinking about growth, the maintenance congregations asks, “How many Lutherans live within a twenty-minute drive of this church?” The mission congregation asks, “How many unchurched people live within a twenty-minute drive of this church?”

11. The maintenance congregation looks at the community and asks, “How can we get these people to support our congregation?” The mission congregation asks, “How can the Church support these people?”

12. The maintenance congregation thinks about how to save their congregation. The mission congregation thinks about how to reach the world.

Decisions?

Have you ever had something that is on your heart and mind that you know is a faith step experience? One that changes everything you are doing? One that will change your life every day if you decide to go a certain direction.

During our lives we have those types of life-changing decisions that come our way. Many say no. A few say with God's guidance, I'm going with you down that path wherever you want to take me.

Tolerating Pain in Leadership

One of my favorite articles that I pass on to individuals often....................................

Tolerating Pain in Leadership
John Maxwell

There are many keys to being an effective leader.

In order to be an effective leader you have to be able to tolerate pain. Your own pain as well as the pain of others. Sometimes others will inflict pain upon you. You must absorb and carry it forward in order to lead. Sometimes you will be called upon to inflict pain on others for their own good or for the good of the organization you lead. If you don’t think leaders inflict pain, then go make a decision and see if anyone yelps. Sometimes you will inflict pain upon yourself when you inflict pain on others because you care so much about those whom you are leading.

Without a doubt, one of the hardest things to do as a leader is to watch people we love squirm with emotional pain because of a position we’ve taken. Most of us end up caving sooner or later and we sheepishly reverse our position or change our direction in order to dull the pain and keep the peace.

Research indicates that the reason most churches are struggling to move forward in any kind of discernible way is because their leadership is spending all their time and energy trying to avoid pain. They think the absence of pain is a sign of good leadership. Making sure no one gets hurt may be a win for a bank robber (Put your hands in the air and do what you’re told and no one gets hurt), but it’s a terrible way of judging how well we’re doing as leaders.

All pain avoidance does is delay the inevitable, which is . . .pain.

Leaders who try to avoid pain will someday be confronted with the worst pain of all, the awareness that the end result of their perpetual pain avoidance is the collapse of the organization they were supposed to be leading.

Are you called to lead? If so, and if you’re not ready to experience and tolerate some pain, then please say no to the call. Whatever organization you’re being called to lead will be better off without you in leadership. If you’re ready to deal with some pain, then step up and buckle in, because it’s gonna hurt.

Attitude

Three people were at work on a construction site.
All were doing the same job, but when asked what his job was, the answer varied.
“Breaking rocks,” the first replied.
“Earning my living,” the second said.
“Helping to build a cathedral,” said the third.

Jesus

Most of us are familiar with Matthew’s account of Jesus’ baptism. In his gospel, God makes a public announcement: “This is my son, whom I love. I am well pleased with him.”

But in Mark and Luke, these words come not so much as a public proclamation but as an affirmation and blessing from Father to Son: “You are my son. I love you. I am so pleased with you.”

I love N. T. Wright’s insights about this blessing:
“The whole Christian gospel could be summed up in this point: that when the living God looks at us, at every baptized and believing Christian, he says to us what he said to Jesus on that day. He sees us, not as we are in ourselves, but as we are in Jesus Christ. It sometimes seems impossible, especially to people who have never had this kind of support from their earthly parents, but it’s true: God looks at us, and says, ‘You are my dear, dear child; I’m delighted with you.’ Try reading that sentence slowly, with your own name at the start, and reflect quietly on God saying that to you, both at your baptism and every day since.”

Mike Cope

Ready to Quit?

The mother of Titans, quarterback Vince Young, said he indicated he doesn’t want to play football and is “hurting inside and out.”

Felicia Young said in last Wednesday editions of The Tennessean that her son is tired of all the negativity he’s faced after being booed during a 17-10 win over Jacksonville. On Monday, Titans coach Jeff Fisher called police to help find him.

“What would you think if you were tired of being ridiculed and persecuted and talked about and not being treated very well, what would you do? What kind of decision would you make?” Felicia Young said “He may not want to deal with it (all), but you have to get to that point before you make that decision first.

Our society is tough not only on athletes but people in general.

It doesn’t matter if you are a NFL Quarterback or a trash man just doing the very best job you can, you will be ridiculed and talked about.

As a superintendent, I must have very thick skin. The decisions I make always makes someone happy and someone upset. I often think that you can live some place too long. Ever think about where you can shop? What store I am welcomed in? What group I can talk to at a game or activity? I sometimes have to think about that. Many times I think, “who haven’t I upset in this town?”

But then I think about what Christ went through during his brief ministry here on earth. I haven’t been beaten (physically), haven’t been spat upon (yet), I haven’t been crucified on a tree in humiliation and shame. My shoulders can get a little bigger when I think about what my Savior went through for me…………..

Sunflowers

Sunflowers. One of my favorite fall landscapes.

There are many fields of sunflowers in Osage County, Kansas, this September. At one of the fields, we actually stopped the car on the highway last Sunday so Debbie could get a picture of the flowers reaching towards the sky and sun.

This past week, after the rain, I noticed that the field was full of droopy sunflowers. Only a handful had their flowers pointing up towards the sky.

I think about the Christian life when I see those drooping flowers. How easy it is to be a negative individual in this dark hateful world we live in. But the few who keep their heads up and look heavenward are the ones everyone notices and wants to know what is so special about their life? Why are they always positive and have a great outlook on life?

In Matthew 5, Jesus encourages us to let our lights so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

We do that by keeping our heads lifted toward the Son and being positive examples to those who are tired of life’s struggles.

So, when you drive by the sunflower patch, look at those who keep their heads up even when it becomes cloudy and dark.

Doing Church

For those of you who are not satisfied with “doing church”, not satisfied with coming to church for an hour or two a week to check off a box, and not satisfied with a mission that has a ratio of 9/1 inward focused/outward focused ministries and budgets…realize that you are not alone. There is a whole generation coming up that doesn’t care how nice the building is or how small the budget is. They are more concerned with being the church and taking the mission into world because that is what God has asked us to do and who he wants us to be.

Young people today could seriously care less if they meet in an auditorium that seats 5000 or in a living room with 10 other people as long as it is done intentionally and out of a heart for spiritual transformation. Young people today will not be satisfied with budgets that are focused on keeping on the ac in the building while millions around the world go without food. If this strikes a chord in your heart, realize that you are not alone and that there is a wave of change that is coming that will be refreshing and terrifying all at the same time. I am sure it will make its way into different congregations and communities at different rates and times but it is going to happen and is already happening.

So check your comfort zone at the door and be ready to have your traditions challenged while maintaining a sensitivity and accountability to sola scriptura. It should be an interesting ride. Good thing we don’t have to do it alone. Thank you for being here. Thank you for contributing. Continue to ask questions. Continue to be a voice for the kingdom. Be ready to wait and see how God responds.

Matt Dabbs

Yellow Leaves

This is an excerpt from Frederick Buechner’s book Yellow Leaves. It makes you think about what takes place on Sunday's at 11:00 a.m...................

…Fresh from breakfast with his wife and children and a quick run through of the Sunday papers, the preacher climbs the steps to the pulpit with his sermon in his hand. He hikes his black robe up at the knee so that he will not trip over it on the way up. His mouth is a little dry. He has cut himself shaving. He feels as if he has swallowed an anchor. If it weren’t for he honor of the thing, he would just as soon be somewhere else.

In the front pews the old ladies turn up their hearing aids, and a young lady slips her six-year old a Lifesaver and a Magic Marker. A college sophomore home for vacation, who is there because he was dragged there, slumps forward with his chin in his hand. The vice-president of a bank who twice that week has seriously contemplated suicide places his hymnal in the rack. A pregnant girl feels the life stir inside her. A high-school math teacher, who for twenty years has managed to keep his homosexuality a secret for the most part even from himself, creases his order of service down the center with his thumbnail and tucks it under his knee…

…The preacher pulls the little cord that turns on the lectern light and deals out his note cards like a riverboat gambler. The stakes have never been higher. Two minutes from now he may have lost his listeners completely to their own thoughts, but at this minute he has them in the palm of his hand. The silence in the shabby church is deafening because everybody is listening even himself. Everybody knows the kind of things he has told them before and not told them, but who knows what this time, out of the silence, he will tell them? (Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy & Fairy Tale, pp. 22-23)

God Reveals New Things Each Day

The carolers managed their way along the sidewalks of Princeton, New Jersey on a snowy Christmas Eve. They came upon an old man’s place and began to sing “O Little Town of Bethlehem”. The old man was a musician who, being Jewish, didn’t necessarily celebrate the way the carolers assumed. Yet after coming to the door, he turned to retrieve his violin to offer perfect accompaniment. This man worshipped Mozart and felt such an artist was more than a musician; he was an explorer to be idolized. The gentle soul’s violin marvelously blended with the young singers the rest of the way through the song…and then he turned and vanished behind the closed door. The old man had such a zest for the unknown. He felt Mozart was the epitome of world leadership and vision. If only society could discover as Mozart had, all would be better off…..thought the sweet man. This amateur violinist was a master of many things…..many things. He once was sought to be President of Israel, yet he declined as he continued to now live in the Americas. His passion for improvement never faded. His drive for looking the present square in the eye and adjusting it to become even more productive had driven this ageless wonder to pick up the violin and learn to play it masterfully. He had to conquer so many things, but this stringed instrument was paramount. The old man? Never did he become the President of Israel; yet, he is known as a world leader in his own right. His name is Albert Einstein.

I encourage you to note the world leaders who explore for more information and affirmation than has yet to be discovered. God is not nearly done revealing new criteria and invention anymore than the sun hanging in space is about to burn out. There is more to come! Love life!

Terry Rush

Good to Great

I've been thinking all day of one of my favorite quotes. It's from Jim Collins in Good to Great. The opening lines of the book remind me that what is true of business is sometimes true of churches:

“Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great. We don't have great school principally because we have good schools. We don't have great government, principally because we have good government. Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life. The vast majority of companies never become great, precisely because the vast majority become quite good--and that is their main problem."

What's missing?

Appreciate Gary Souder sending this to us last week......

So removed is our understanding of the gospel as a relational invitation that recently, while teaching another class of Bible college students, I presented a form of the gospel but left out a key element, to see if they would notice. I told them in advance that I was going to leave out a critical element of the gospel, and I asked them to listen carefully to figure out the missing piece.

I told them man was sinful, and this was obvious when we looked at the culture we lived in. I pointed out specific examples of depravity including homosexuality, abortion, drug use, song lyrics on the radio, newspaper headlines, and so on. Then I told the class that man must repent, and showed them scriptures that spoke firmly of this idea. I used the true-life example I heard from a preacher about a man in Missouri who, warning people of a bridge that had collapsed, shot a flare gun directly at oncoming cars so they would stop before they drove over the bridge to their deaths. I said I was like that man, shooting flares at cars, and they could be mad at me an frustrated, but I was saving their lives, because the wages of sin is death, and they had to repent in order to see heaven. I then pointed to scripture about the wages of sin being death, and talked at length about how sin separates us from God.

Then I spoke of the beauty of morality, and told a story of a friend who chose not to cheat on his wife and so now enjoys the fruits of his marriage, committed in love to his wife, grateful that he never betrayed the purity and beauty of their relationship. I talked about heaven and how great it will be to walk on streets of gold and how there will probably be millions of miles of mountains and rivers and how great it will be to fish those rivers and sit with our friends around a fire beneath a mountain peak that reaches up into stars so thick we could barely imagine the beauty of the expanse. I gave the class statistics regarding teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, going into detail about what it is they would be saved from if they would only repent, and how their lives could be God-honoring and God-centered and this would give them a sense of purity and feeling of fulfillment on earth, and that God would provide for them in relationships and in finances and in comfort.

When I was done, I rested my case and asked the class if they could tell me what it was I had left out of this gospel presentation. I waited as a class of Bible college students - who that year had read several textbooks about Christian theology, who had read the majority of the Bible, all of whom had taken an evangelism class only weeks before in which they went door-to-door to hundreds of homes and shared their faith using pamphlets that explained the gospel, who had grown up in Christian homes attending strong evangelical churches, who had taken both New Testament Introduction and Old Testament Introduction - sat there for several minutes in uncomfortable silence.

None of the forty-five students in the class realized I had presented a gospel without once mentioning the name of Jesus. Nobody noticed, even when I said I was going to neglect something very important, even when I asked them to think very hard about what it was I had left out, even when I stood there for several minutes in silence.

To a culture that believes that they "go to heaven" based on whether or not they are morally pure, or that they understand some theological ideas, or that they are very spiritual, Jesus is completely unnecessary. At best, He is an after thought, a technicality by which we become morally pure, or a subject of which we know, or a founding father of our woo-woo spirituality.
I assure you, these students loved Jesus very much, and they were terrific kids whom I loved being with, it's just that when they thought of the gospel, they thought of the message in terms of a series of thoughts or principles, not mysterious relational dynamics. The least important of the ideas, to this class, was knowing Jesus; the least important of the ideas was the one that is relational. The gospel of Jesus, then, mistakenly assumed by this class, is something different from Jesus Himself.

(ie the gospel of Jesus from Mark; 1 Cor 15:1-4)

Order of Worship

Welcome:

Scripture: Mark 1:1-8

162 All Hail the Power of Jesus Name
167 Hosanna
221 Jesus, Name Above All Names

Scripture: Mark 1:9-11

176 O Lamb of God

Lords Supper

Contribution

Special Prayer-Jerry

2 x 2 Dismissed

186 Christ, We Do All Adore Thee

Message Evan Burdan

Invitation 286 Wonderful Story of Love

Announcements

Jesus You’re my Firm Foundation

Closing Prayer

Election 2008

Anyone else sick of the politics of this election? Wish we had a viable candidate.

Labor Day Weekend

We enjoyed a great weekend having Brian and Allison in Osage City. Allison is finishing up her senior year at Oklahoma Christian doing her student teaching. Brian works for the Anderson County Sheriffs Department as a Deputy Sheriff. Their wedding is scheduled for February 28 in Burleson, Texas.

UGG Australia

Craig is getting his fashion experience working at UGG Australia in New York City. He applied on-line before he left and had a interview the day after he arrived last week. He started school and his new job last week. He is enjoying both.

I had to find out what UGG Australia was.......the good thing about where he works, they have size 15 shoes!

Labor Day 2008

Here in the United States, today is the Labor Day, a holiday created in recognition of the organized labor movement.

"Whatever their faults, unions have been the only powerful and effective voice working people have ever had in the history of this country."—Bruce Springsteen

"Although it is true that only about 20 percent of American workers are in unions, that 20 percent sets the standards across the board in salaries, benefits and working conditions. If you are making a decent salary in a non-union company, you owe that to the unions. One thing that corporations do not do is give out money out of the goodness of their hearts."—Molly Ivins

"If hard work were such a wonderful thing, surely the rich would have kept it all to themselves."—Lane Kirkland

"Every advance in this half-century—Social Security, civil rights, Medicare, aid to education, one after another—came with the support and leadership of American Labor."—Jimmy Carter

"The labor movement is the last noble protest of the American people against the power of incorporated wealth."—Wendell Phillips

Content in What we Do

Contentment
Satisfaction
Happiness

Why are so many miserable in this world? People today live in a society that offers everything that you could ever possibly want but individuals are increasingly more depressed and unhappier than ever before.

Why have we made the decision that we need more and more stuff to be truly happy? I often tell young people to enjoy every job that they have because you will learn many work strategies and skills that will help you in your future occupations.

I can truly say that I have enjoyed every job that I have ever had. I started out cooking hamburgers at Burger Chef at Woodlands Hills Mall in Tulsa when I was 16. It was a job where I learned how to work with people. How to deal with stress and time management. Skills that have hopefully helped me over the past 30 years. Then I worked construction. Hard physical work during the summer. Then, work on a trash truck during the hot summer days, running from stop to stop so I could stay in good physical shape and….the faster I worked the sooner I could get to the gym to play basketball. Then I was a boiler cleaner outer. A dirty hot job, but one in which I learned that I wanted an education so I would not have to do this my entire life. Then it was Dillard’s as a suit salesman. Learning people skills.

Your job can be fun and enjoyable if you have the right attitude and use it as a ministry to others.

In our Young Professionals class, we pray each Sunday that God will use us in our variety of jobs, occupations and as college students to be that light in this dark world.

Each day I pray that God will use me as his instrument. He knows those I will come in contact with and those that need a smile or affirmation.

How about you? Job getting you down? How about trying a new approach - being positive and led by God as He gives you opportunities to minister to those around you.

Thought for the Day

Unity will expand the kingdom of God, help us become missionaries in every land and culture, and bring people to Christ, who teaches that unity and love draw people to himself.

Mike Cope

Thought for the Day

"If the son is not greater than the father both are failures"

Chinese Proverb

Sand and Stone

TWO FRIENDS WERE WALKING
THROUGH THE DESERT.
DURING SOME POINT OF THE
JOURNEY, THEY HAD AN
ARGUMENT; AND ONE FRIEND
SLAPPED THE OTHER ONE
IN THE FACE.

THE ONE WHO GOT SLAPPED
WAS HURT, BUT WITHOUT
SAYING ANYTHING,
WROTE IN THE SAND:

TODAY MY BEST FRIEND
SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE.

THEY KEPT ON WALKING,
UNTIL THEY FOUND AN OASIS,
WHERE THEY DECIDED
TO TAKE A BATH

THE ONE WHO HAD BEEN
SLAPPED GOT STUCK IN THE
MIRE AND STARTED DROWNING,
BUT THE FRIEND SAVED HIM.

AFTER HE RECOVERED FROM
THE NEAR DROWNING,
HE W ROTE ON A STONE:

"TODAY MY BEST FRIEND
SAVED MY LIFE ".

THE FRIEND WHO HAD SLAPPED
AND SAVED HIS BEST FRIEND
ASKED HIM, "A FTER I HURT YOU,
YOU WROTE IN THE SAND AND NOW,
YOU WRITE ON A STONE, WHY?"

THE FRIEND REPLIED
"WHEN SOMEONE HURTS US
WE SHOULD WRITE IT DOWN
IN SAND, WHERE WINDS OF
FORGIVENESS CAN ERASE IT AWAY.
BUT, WHEN SOMEONE DOES
SOMETHING GOOD FOR US,
WE MUST ENGRAVE IT IN STONE
WHERE NO WIND
CAN EVER ERASE IT."

LEARN TO WRITE
YOUR HURTS IN
THE SAND AND TO
CARVE YOUR
BENEFITS IN STONE.

Order of Worship

Welcome

Psalm 29 (Kevin Johnston)

797 Lord, We Come Before Thee Now (Verse 1 and 4)
578 We Will Glorify
These Are the Days of Elijah

Prayer

Scripture: Zechariah 12:10 and 13:1 (Kevin)

324 Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed

Lords Supper

Contribution

Scripture: Psalm 46:1-10

31 Be Still and Know
689 Be Still, my Soul

Message Evan Burdan

Invitation 116 God Will Make a Way (Sing Twice)

Announcements

648 Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus (Verse 1 and 3)

Closing Prayer (Kevin)

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-13a (Kevin)

Craig Have A Great School Year!

Craig made it back to the big city yesterday afternoon. He starts his sophomore year at the University of New York's Fashion Institute of Technology. We took this pic from FIT last year. This year he lives on the 15th floor in the FIT apartment tower with a view of the Hudson River.

Developing Community

Here is a interesting point of view from Pete Rollins. What do you think?

Indeed often the most destructive element in the development of a community arises from the very statement that one is attempting to build a community. For what can so often happen is that those who need the most help join up in the hope that they will find support and encouragement. The result is that, for many fledgling groups, this places too high an emotional demand too early and leads to burnout.


To develop a healthy community, the best approach can actually involve being clear that one is not starting a community at all and that there will be no pastoral support, that no one will be charged with the job of taking in money and distributing it on people’s behalf, and that no one will be responsible for calling you up if you stop attending events. In short, it must be clear that the group does not care about people’s needs in the slightest. While this may sound deeply uncaring, the reason for stating this is precisely in order to help provide a healthy soil for real pastoral and financial support to grow.

Providing a space with no welcoming team or pastoral support group means that individuals need to take responsibility for welcoming and caring for others themselves. Here the role of those setting up the group is not to create a new priest/laity divide but rather to refuse to act in the role of a priest precisely so as to encourage a priesthood of all believers, offering relational, mutually dependent, pastoral support. This does not mean there is no place for leadership, for here the leader is the one who attempts to prevent any one person, including the leader, from taking over the space and taking on the role of some high priest. In such a space there is a radical refusal, by those who organize the gathering, to take on pastoral responsibility. For by refusing the place of power, the “pastors” equip everyone to be a pastor, simultaneously discouraging an unhealthy dependency in those who attend.

Brian....this story is for you!

I recently ran across a story originally published in the Des Moines Register. Truck driver Ryan Albright arrived early in the morning at Trinity Medical Hospital in Rock Island, Illinois, to make one of his 45 deliveries. He left the truck running as he ran in for his delivery.
Police say that Frank Alvarado, a patient at the hospital, was waiting in the bushes. As Albright went in the building, Alvarado jumped into the delivery van and sped off to the west.
Eventually, nine officers from four jurisdictions in two states would join the chase. At speeds up to 100 mph, they eventually apprehended Alvarado 135 miles later, in Toledo, Iowa.
Police theorize that Alvarado might have wanted to get out of the hospital…that he was unstable…or that he was just hungry for what was in the truck.

Law enforcement officers made out good…the owner of the company running the truck gave the remaining product to the police and deputies…they ate all the doughnuts they wanted!
Imagine the sight of all those officers chasing after the doughnut delivery truck. Really, how silly did that look?

Welcome Back!

Teachers-Staff enjoy the weekend.......................................

First Day of School

I begin my 17th first day of school in Osage City today. Every first day brings excitement and a few butterflies in my stomach. My prayer every year is for our students, teachers and staff to have a year of educational excellence and one that is safe and fulfilling.

I just try to stay out of the way and support them with the best available resources that I can.

As I told my staff today, "only 184 days until Summer Vacation!"

Thought for the Day

"Defeat is not the worst of failures.
Not to have tried is the true failure."

More on Complaining

One of the funniest movies about a complainer is Groundhog Day. It stars Bill Murray as a sarcastic weatherman who is obviously unhappy with his life. He is an habitual complainer. Although I don’t agree with all the morals in the movie, the ending has a great one. Bill Murray’s character has to keep living the same day over and over until he lives it right. Finally he realizes the secret to living Groundhog Day right is to become an habitual servant. When he goes out of his way to HELP others instead of complaining and being self-centered, he gets a new day to live. Boy, wouldn’t that be a fantastic lesson for some people we know!

Complaining

The YP Class started a four week series yesterday called "Zip It". A study on complaining. Its easy to complain and not be positive about situations in our lives, but the Bible is full of instances where God took action when His people complained.

As we begin a new week and a new school year, let's stay positive and look at the good in people and in our own lives as we shine our lights in this cold, dark world.

"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing". Philippians 2:14-16, New International Version

Thought for the Day

"Every ball team could use a man who plays every position perfectly, who never strikes out, and never makes an error. But there's no way to get him to lay down his hot dog and come out of the stands"

Vacation

Vacation is about over for all my teachers, staff and principals. They are busy getting ready for school.

Keep our Central kids and school personnel in your prayers as we begin the new school year.

Quote for the Day

" Many of life's failures are men who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."

A Family Weekend

We had our last family weekend of the summer with my parents, Mike, Doreen and Emma on Friday and Saturday.

We brought home over 36 catfish and enjoyed every one of them.

The school count down has started only 10 days to go.............

Order of Worship

Order of Worship
Sunday, August 3, 2008

Welcome (Gary)

Scripture: Isaiah 51:11-16 (Kevin)

869 We-re Marching to Zion (Verse 1 and 4)
227 On Zion’s Glorious Summit
100 Holy Ground

Prayer

Scripture: Matthew 16:13-16 (Kevin)

185 Jesus, Thy Name I Love
186 Christ, we Do All Adore Thee

Communion
Contribution

Dismiss: Children’s Worship

Scripture: Romans 12:3-5 (Kevin)

Song: We Are the Body of Christ

Message (Evan)

Invitation 768 Jesus Let Us Come To Know You

Announcements

Song: Light the Fire

Scripture: Matthew 5:13-16 (Kevin)

Closing Prayer

As the Sun Rises in the East

What a sunrise I saw on Tuesday morning. The colors, the power of the sun coming up through the clouds. It displayed the mighty power of our Creator.

I always think about the words to this song when I see a sunrise..............

As the sun rises in the east
He shall split the eastern sky
Sword in hand upon the mountain
Fire of heaven in His eyes

(Chorus)

And every knee shall bow (Every knee shall bow)
Every knee shall bow (Every knee shall bow)
We kneel before Him now (We kneel before Him now)
And every knee shall bow

Come the dawn of the Prince of Peace
Like the morning after rain
There shall be no more of hatred
Neither sorrow, neither pain

(Chorus)

And every knee shall bow (Every knee shall bow)
Every knee shall bow (Every knee shall bow)
We kneel before Him now (We kneel before Him now)
And every knee shall bow

Now What?

Have you ever prayed so hard for something, prayed with faith, then sat back and waited for God’s answer?

You waited…and waited…and waited. Until one day you began wondering “Why hasn’t God answered my prayers?”

After all, we have all heard sermons in church throughout the years that give us the keys to an effective prayer life. Follow the steps, one, two, three, and you are guaranteed an answer.

Indeed, God will answer all of our prayers; but what those sermons, and we, often forget is that “no” is an answer, also.

What do you do? What does it mean? How do you handle it when God says “no”?

Over the past few years the Central Church of Christ has been praying for God’s direction as we sale the building and look at relocating to our new property on Burlingame Road.

We felt everything was finally in place the past few weeks as things were progressing to sale this building and meet in temporary facilities this Fall. Prayers were being lifted up by members of the congregation for the Elders for direction and guidance in this significant challenge and new beginning for the Central congregation. Then just last week, God said “no”.

We often forget that God often says “no” to some of our prayer requests. We might be disappointed and even at times confused, but we know God has even greater plans for HIS Church if we accept and allow Him to work among His people.

So what do we do now? We keep being the Central Church of Christ. We keep being a body that Accepts Christ. We continue to build up each other in our fellowship, worship and time we are together. We continue to be a committed body serving others each day. We continue to be the Central Church.

It doesn’t matter if we meet at the corner of Huntoon and College or South Burlingame Road we want to shine God’s light throughout the northeast Kansas area.

God has great plans for us. It will be an exciting journey……………………

(I wrote this last Saturday night before Jerry made his announcement on Sunday morning)

Boy's are Pretty Smart!

A clergyman was walking down the street when he came upon a group of about a dozen boys, all of them between 10 and 12 years of age. The group surrounded a dog. Concerned that the boys were hurting the dog, he went over and asked, "What are you doing with that dog?" One of the boys replied, "This dog is just an old neighborhood stray. We all want him, but only one of us can take him home. So we've decided that whichever one of us can tell the biggest lie will get to keep the dog."Of course, the reverend was taken aback. "You boys shouldn't be having a contest telling lies!" he exclaimed. He then launched into a ten minute sermon against lying, beginning, "Don't you boys know it's a sin to lie," and ending with, "Why, when I was your age, I never told a lie." There was dead silence for about a minute. Just as the reverend was beginning to think he'd gotten through to them, the smallest boy gave a deep sigh and said, "All right, give the preacher the dog."

Vacation Recap

We had a great vacation last week. Played golf in four different states.

We left around 6:00 a.m. last Sunday and made it to Nixa, Missouri to worship with the Union Hill Church of Christ. It is a relatively new congregation that was started by the Sunset Church of Christ in Springfield. This church has seen significant growth in only 8 short years and has over 350 members. We really enjoyed visiting with these great Christians.

Our golf vacation was very enjoyable. On Monday we played the new Murder Rock course at Branson and loved every minute of it. The course was beautiful. Playing on top of the Ozark Mountains was one Kodak Moment after another. The only problem all 40+ pictures we took didn't turn out. We had a bad memory card. Very disappointing but as I stated to Debbie....we will just have to play it again.

On Tuesday and Wednesday we played our old favorite course Carroll County Country Club in Berryville, Arkansas. We played 54 holes on Tuesday and only 45 on Wednesday. We couldn't start until 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday because of early morning showers.

Thursday we played a new golf course called Peoria Ridge in Miami, Oklahoma. A tough course that at the end of the day I was glad the agony was over.

On Friday we decided to play one last round at the Garnett Country Club here in Kansas.

Debbie and I had a great time celebrating our anniversary all week. We enjoyed getting away and being together. Great food, great golf and our favorite ice cream place in Eureka Springs.

We played a total of 171 holes of golf.

Tired but looking forward to our golf excursion next year.

Vacation

It is time for our annual golf vacation to Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma. We will leave early Sunday morning so we can worship in Springfield, Missouri.

The highlight will be 18 holes of golf at John Daly's new golf course in Branson called Murder Rock.

We will try to play 63 holes of golf (that would be our record for one day) on Tuesday and Wednesday at our favorite course in Berryville, Arkansas. I hope my arm doesn't fall off! Debbie makes it better than I do. Thursday golf in Miami, Oklahoma, then one more round Friday in Harrisonville, Missouri.

Lots of good food at Bubba's, Catfish Wharf and other places.

But the best part......spending time with Debbie as we enjoy the great outdoors.

We hope to see a couple of movies as well.

Unity

How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.
Psalm 133

Harmony within the family of God shows that we are dedicated to serving God wholeheartedly. When we live in community, we mirror God’s nature of community among the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and his nature of love and selflessness.

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
Romans 15:5-6

The Roman church was an extremely diverse community. It was made up of Jews and Gentiles, slaves and free people, rich and poor, former idol worshippers, prostitutes, and every type of sinner. We can imagine from our own experience how difficult it must have been for them to accept one another.

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
John 17:20-23

Thought for the Day

At the end of the day, when I am lying in bed and I know the chances of any of our theology being exactly right are a million to one, I need to know that God has things figured out, that if my math is wrong we are still going to be okay. And wonder is that feeling we get when we let go of our silly answers, our mapped out rules that we want God to follow. I don't think there is any better worship than wonder.

Donald Miller
Blue Like Jazz

Read Your Bible and Pray Everyday, And You'll Grow, Grow, Grow!

According to a Harris poll conducted in April, the Bible remains the all-time favorite book of a majority of Americans, regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity. (For those who are wondering, number 2 is Gone with the Wind, followed by the Lord of the Rings trilogy.)
This news is heart-warming, but mind-troubling. For few Americans seem to read their favorite book.

Biblical illiteracy is growing, especially among the young. A 2004 Gallup survey of teens revealed that two-thirds couldn't place "Blessed are the poor in spirit" in the Sermon on the Mount, or recall what happened on the road to Damascus. An earlier poll conducted by George Barna showed an ignorance or rejection of basic Christian doctrines (such as the sinlessness of Christ) among a significant number of self-identified Christians.

Rejection

One of my favorite things to do during the summer is be outside and garden. We have grape vines that produce great purple grapes. Deb makes jelly out of them.

The story I shared with the high school and middle school class on Wednesday evening is about a individual who owns a vineyard where grapes are grown and his tenants who were greedy and violent individuals.

It’s a story about rejection.

It would make a great movie.

One of the worst feelings in the world is to be rejected by someone. We have all experienced it. Friends at school. Maybe a family member. Maybe a brother or sister in Christ who you thought was a true friend.

The Parable of the Tenants
Matthew 21:33-46 (New International Version)

33"Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. 34When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.

35"The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37Last of all, he sent his son to them. 'They will respect my son,' he said.

38"But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and take his inheritance.' 39So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

40"Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?"

41"He will bring those wretches to a wretched end," they replied, "and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time."

42Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: " 'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?

43"Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed." 45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus' parables, they knew he was talking about them. 46They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.

This parable is about rejection. The illustration of a landowner who uses his money, time, and resources to build a business of making wine is a parallel on how our Lord was received and treated.

This business was necessary and essential in that time. Others sought to take advantage and then tried to take it away. The landowner put forth efforts and sought others to care for his property. When he sent messengers to collect what was his, they rejected the messengers.

They not only rejected, they became violent, even resorting to murder to get their way and not seek his. Even though it was his vineyard, they only saw it as opportunity to get something without using their own money, labor, or efforts. They wanted for themselves what they were not wiling to strive for. When the landowner sent his son, he expected better treatment; but their true wickedness showed as they killed him, too.

The tenants represent the people whom God brought out of Egypt and slavery, and gave them a land they did not make. God sent His Law and prophets, and they beat and killed them; when God sent His Son, they were to do the same.

A messiah was promised and they killed both the messenger, John the Baptist, and Christ. They sought their own greed. They did not honor or respect the things and call of God.

We do this daily in our selfish walks of life. Rejecting the one who in turn blesses us daily and gives us that second chance.

What We Think About Matters

We are often foolish in our thinking. We allow Satan access into our minds by thinking on the wrong things. We think too often about self. Material possessions become objects of every thought. We spend time thinking about the wrong things and our actions prove it.
What if we began to spend more time thinking about God and His word? Our minds would be filled with good. Our minds would be renewed. Our minds would be prepared. Our actions/behavior would be different. Right thinking would reign.

Someone has said that wrong thoughts are like birds. You can’t keep them from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building nests in your hair. We can be victorious over our enemy with God’s help. We can be ruled by good. What we think about matters!

Jay Taylor
Irving, Texas

Emma

My neice Emma played her last softball game this week. Here she shows off her medal she received..................

The TV Event of the Year!

The 4th wouldn't be the 4th without the annual Hot Dog eating Contest from Coney Island.

Lightning Rods

Some speakers are lightning rods.

By that I mean to have some men on lectureships, workshops, or invited to speak at local congregations is to cause disruption due to what radical things they might say. Such are known as lightning rods; they will attract criticism and the Lord knows that's one thing we sure don't stand for in the true church. After all, He never was involved in such reckless speakers.Or was He?

Regardless of how careful leaders of any of the above venues desire to be, they can count on one thing: God will wreck our lives on occasion. Do you really think that Jesus, Peter, James, John, and Paul were not lightning rods? Do you really believe each was tossed into prison for double parking their camels? Do you really believe they were careful not to offend their audience? Do you really believe they never ruffled feathers?

No, theirs was a much different climate than ours. We have so established the true church that we have weeded out the lightning rods. No storms allowed among some. Peaceful like cemeteries....that's our motto. By the way....where are our children going to church once they graduate from high school and get out on their own?

I know....just another blog post from a lightning rod.

Terry Rush
Memorial Drive Church of Christ-Tulsa

4th of July Week

This is a big week for the Carriger Family. Some celebrate Christmas, some birthdays, others Valentine's day......the Carriger Family tries to blow up the neighborhood each 4th of July in Osage City. My entire family descends on our place for our annual catfish fry, BBQ and fireworks extravaganza celebrating the 4th. It lasts the entire week! A lot of laughs and stories have resulted in this annual festival. Only problem....I have to work every day and can't be there until the evening hours. Tough life!

Does this Remind You of Something in the Book of Genesis?

Stick em Up

In honor of my brother who works for BP..... enjoy!

Mike's Big Catch

My brother Mike caught this nice 4 pound catfish the other day.

Manhattan Church of Christ

Great article about the congregation where Craig attends in New York City.................

Manhattan congregation reflects melting pot nature of New York City
By Bobby Ross Jr. The Christian Chronicle

NEW YORK - No fried chicken. No hamburger casserole. No Jell-O salad.The titillating smells emanating from the fourth floor of the Manhattan Church of Christ on a recent Sunday reflected a more international flavor.The menu included Korean-style scallion pancakes, English scones and cucumber sandwiches, Nigerian bean cakes and Guyanese fish cakes.At the church’s International Day, members representing two dozen nationalities donned native attire and set up displays showcasing their home countries.“One thing brings you together, and that’s the blood of Christ,” said Effiong Akpan, a Nigerian wearing a light blue robe known as an agbada. “This is exactly what God intended when he said that all nations should flow unto him.” 'BREAKING BARRIERSAlmost 83, John Rainbow couldn’t help but smile as children and adults marched into the first-floor auditorium carrying signs of their native lands.As the congregation sang “Jesus Loves the Little Children” in English and Spanish, there were plenty of “red and yellow, black and white” faces to match the words of the song.“I thank God,” Rainbow said.An African-American who made a living in his younger years singing ballads and love songs, Rainbow first came to the congregation in 1957 hoping to meet entertainer Pat Boone, then the church’s song leader.But in the church, Rainbow encountered the prejudice of that era. A white elder’s wife would change pews if a black man such as Rainbow sat down beside her. One man hurled racial slurs.However, the late Burton Coffman, the minister from 1954 to 1971, gripped Rainbow’s hand, looked him in the eye and told him to keep coming back.“Don’t let anybody drive you away,” Rainbow recalls Coffman telling him. And Rainbow didn’t.He later served 10 years as the church’s song leader and remains a faithful member. At International Day, the congregation applauded as Rainbow stood to be recognized for the barriers that he helped break down.RICH AND POORJust a short walk from Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s $13.5 million townhouse, the Upper East Side church occupies one of America’s richest ZIP codes.Yet, through a ministry called Community of Hope, the congregation welcomes homeless people into the building each Friday and the second Saturday of each month. The guests shower, eat, rest, study the Bible and watch movies at the church.“Even though it’s a very wealthy area, there’s a lot of homeless people that live in the area,” said Thomas L. Robinson, senior minister and one of five elders. “As far as breaking down barriers, that kind of barrier — the socioeconomic barrier — is at least as difficult as the racial and ethnic barriers.”Believing God calls all people unto him, the church works actively to build a community that overcomes the ethnic, socioeconomic, gender and racial barriers that divide humankind, church leaders said.The church’s two English services and separate Spanish assembly draw nearly 400 worshipers each Sunday morning. A bilingual service is conducted on the third Sunday of each month.Member Selina Law, who organized International Day, said she expects heaven to look a lot like the Manhattan church.“When people come here, it doesn’t really matter where you’re from,” said Law, a Hong Kong native. “You just feel comfortable and you fit in, and that’s a good feeling.”The congregation mixes investment bankers, lawyers and heart surgeons with taxi drivers, police officers and computer specialists. Well-known attendees include Lester Holt of NBC News and, when he’s in town, Yankees broadcaster Bobby Murcer.“Our overall membership includes only some 100-125 members who were raised within the Church of Christ,” said elder David Swearingen, a third-generation member from Idaho and vice president of corporate communications with Johnson & Johnson. “Virtually all of the others converted from other faiths — principally Catholics, with a few Jewish conversions, as well as Hindu, one former Muslim and several Christian denominations,” said Swearingen, a graduate of Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif.Colombian-born minister Hugo Monroy, who works with New York area church planters and the Manhattan church’s Hispanic ministry, touted the blessings of diversity.“We have the opportunity to taste different foods, to hear of different ways of doing things, different ways of thinking and behaving,” said Monroy, who grew up Catholic and became an atheist before his baptism at a Church of Christ.A graduate of Abilene Christian University in Texas, he described getting to know a Jewish family who converted to Christianity and how that relationship helped him learn more about Hebrew culture. Four years ago, he started joining the Jewish family for Passover celebrations.“My wife Sandra and I have not missed one Passover since then,” Monroy said.AN OPPORTUNITY, AND A CHALLENGEChristian Francis, a 22-year-old African-American who grew up in Brooklyn, flashed a wide smile as he greeted South Korean natives Bok-Hee Meixner and Lauren Hook — both adopted as children by Americans.Francis filled his plate with kimchi — pickled cabbage with hot chili and peppers — and hugged Hook, who wore a bright pink and yellow hanbok, a traditional Korean dress. Francis, a senior biochemistry major at Abilene Christian, has attended the Manhattan church since age 6. He said the “melting pot” nature of New York City — where the Statue of Liberty still inspires hope and more than a third of the 8.2 million residents are foreign born — offers a tremendous opportunity for the church. The 43 birth nations of active Manhattan church members range from China to Cuba, Germany to Guyana, Japan to Jamaica.“I mean, you walk outside on the streets of New York and you may hear 15 languages all at once, depending on what location you’re in,” he said. In all, New Yorkers speak roughly 170 languages.At the U.S.A. display, Whitney Pettyjohn helped serve red-white-and-blue cake and “pigs in a blanket.”Pettyjohn, a white woman in her 20s, moved to the Big Apple from Oklahoma to work for a public relations company. “Especially going to my grandparents’ churches growing up — all older people, all Caucasian — I love being able to see that everyone of all shapes, all sizes, all kinds can get along as part of the church,” said Pettyjohn, an Oklahoma Christian University graduate. On Friday nights, Pettyjohn helps with the Alpha Course, a program at the church that introduces people to Christianity in a friendly, no-pressure environment.“I know a lot of churches have a problem with driving people away,” Pettyjohn said. “I feel like this congregation really pulls people to them. It’s like an attraction that you can’t explain.”In a sermon titled “From Every Tribe and Tongue and People and Nation,” based on passages in Revelation, Robinson focused on God’s vision for diversity. God, he said, made all colors and body types, communicates in all languages and understands the worship of every human culture. But in human hands, diversity too often leads to brokenness, hatred, oppression and violence, he said.“Just the fact that we’re together does not mean that we break down the barriers between us, that we make real friends or that we understand each other,” the Abilene Christian graduate preached as he urged members to heed God’s plan for renewal, peace and justice.

Communion

Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

1 Cornthians 11: verse 28

Communion is that time each week that we examine ourselves and the work of Christ in our life. Before we take of the bread and fruit of the vine we are told to examine ourselves. Communion should be a time of spiritual reflection and soul searching. Allow the Holy Spirit to take away all those hindrances and obstacles that we have placed in God's way throughout the week. Allow Jesus to minister his cleansing and healing to our spirit. Allow God to transform your thoughts, your emotions, your desires, and your actions. Let us examine ourselves and be willing to receive from God what he has for us each of us on Sunday morning.

In John chapter 2 is the story of Jesus turning the water into wine. There were six old stone jars full of water. Have you ever thought about those six stone jars? There was nothing important about them – all they did was hold plain water. But Jesus transformed that ordinary, everyday water into new wine – so good that the banquet master said it was the best of the feast. Have you ever considered how in your life Christ has taken you and changed you from water into wine? We have a new life in Christ. The old ways are forever changed and we are renewed and transformed by his presence.

As we partake of communion each first day of the week, think of all the ways Christ has changed you. A time of thanking him in worship and praise from the heart is always appropriate at communion time. Jesus has done so much for us. Let us make communion a time of remembering all that he means to us.

Thought for the Day

"Eventually all things merge into one and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs."

~Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It

Worship

Harold Best, in his book, Music Through the Eyes of Faith, defines worship in the broadest sense as “acknowledging that someone or something else is greater – worth more – and by consequence, to be obeyed, feared, and adored…Worship is the sign that in giving myself completely to someone or something, I want to be mastered by it."

Worship is, at it's essence, submitting ourselves through praise and covenant to the reign of God. This is true of all elements of worship. Praise isn't worship. True praise, prayer, preaching, listening, and coming to the table all engage us in, one way or another, giving ourselves completely God to be mastered by Him.

Question: What is the most powerful element of worship for you?

A Long Week

This is going to be a long tough week of cooking, cleaning and picking up after myself. Debbie left me! Not for good. She went to Oklahoma to care for her mother who had knee replacement surgery last week. We will meet up again on Saturday at Vernon's Wedding in Augusta.

Hope Craig likes cereal............................

A Dog's Purpose from a Six-Year Old

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa,and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker, andthey were hoping for a miracle.I examined Belker and found he was ill and dying. I told the familywe couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform theeuthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it wouldbe good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt asthough Shane might le arn something from the experience. The next day,I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surroundedhim. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time ,that I wondered if he understood what was going on.Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without anydifficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker'sdeath, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives areshorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, pipedup, "I know why."Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth nextstunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said,"People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life --like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?" Thesix-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, sothey don't have to stay as long."

Live simply.

Help for Kansas Tornado Victims

How to Help Tornado Victims

Offices of the American Red Cross are accepting donations for storm victims.
In Topeka, monetary donations can be taken to the Kansas Capital Area Chapter of the American Red Cross, 1221 S.W. 17th.

You Are So Good to Me

You are so good to me
You heal my broken heart
You are my Father in heaven
You ride upon the clouds
You lead me to the truth
You are the Spirit inside me
You poured out all your blood
You died upon the cross
You are my Jesus who loves me
You are beautiful my sweet, sweet, song
I will sing again
You are my strong melody
You are my dancing rhythm
You are my perfect rhyme
And I want to sing forever.

“You Are so Good to Me” by Waterdeep.

Summer Workshop

Every fourth year there is a gathering of Christ-followers from the three branches of the Restoration Movement (Churches of Christ, Disciples of Christ, Christian Churches) to promote unity.

The past meetings have been:
1930 Washington, DC, USA
1935 Leicester England, UK
1947 Buffalo, NY, USA
1952 Melbourne, VIC, Ausralia
1955 Toronto, ONT, Canada
1960 Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
1965 San Juan, Puerto Rico
1970 Adelaide, SA, Australia
1974 Mexico City, Mexico
1980 Honolulu, Hi, USA
1984 Kingston, Jamaica
1988 Auckland, New Zealand
1992 Long Beach, CA, USA
1996 Calgary, ALB, Canada
2000 Brisbane, QLD, Australia
2004 Brighton, England, UK

This summer, the 17th meeting of the World Convention will be in Nashville — July 30-August 3.
You can find more information here or here.

Order of Worship

Welcome

2 We Praise Thee O God (Verse 1 and 2 only)

869 We’re Marching to Zion (Verse 1 only)

103 He Has Made Me Glad

96 I Stand in Awe

Prayer:

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:23-25

364 Come, Share the Lord

Lords Supper

Contribution

Scripture: Ephesians 4:11-16

We Are The Body of Christ

Message Evan Burdan

Invitation 701 My Jesus I Love Thee

Announcements

711 Blest Be the Tie That Binds (Verses 1,3 and 4 only)

Closing Prayer

The Body of Christ

One heart
one spirit
One voice
to praise You
We are the body of Christ

One goal
one vision
To see You exalted
We are the body of Christ

And to this
we give our lives
To see You glorified

© 1997 ThreeFold Amen Music/Songward Music

A Verse for Today

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among any brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, "For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered." But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Shepherds

I found this picture the other day of a confident Shepherd leading his sheep. During this transition period may God be with us as He leads Central to even greater heights during the next few months.

Suggestions

Now that we have sold the building, the Elders are interested in input from members of the congregation on possible Sunday and Wednesday evening formats.

Many have been to congregations that have experienced moving and transitions. What did you do to make it a successful move? How did you do Sunday evening and Wednesday evening services?

Need input......................

What Will We Look Like............

Jerry asked the question last week at our elders meeting, "What will we look like on September 2?"

What will the Central Church of Christ look like, and become, after we leave the corner of Huntoon and College where we have worshipped for 100 years?

What did the first church look like?

The first real church was Jesus and His 12 disciples. The first church was actually a training school for those who would establish the second-generation churches after Jesus ascended back to the Father. It was Jesus showing His disciples, first hand, how to have church. They met in houses and gardens, by the sea and on boats in the sea, in the middle of the road, on hillsides and on mountaintops. They met wherever Jesus happened to be. These meetings formed their understanding of what church was supposed to be and established a pattern for the next generation of churches.

Acts 2 talks about a church family meeting together continually. Trying to live like Jesus.

I see us doing the same thing.
I see us reaching out.
I see us ministering in homes, schools, hospitals, and in the work place.
I see us celebrating new births, marriages and grieving with our family members that have struggles and difficulties.
I see an eldership that will be on their knees asking God for continued direction as they lead their flock toward an even more exciting and rewarding life that is found only in Jesus Christ.

What will we look like on September 2?

We will look like His disciples!

We Hear You

We Hear You

We hear you calling us, Lord.
On good days we hear you loud and clear.
And even on bad days the world’s siren song
never completely drowns out your voice.
We hear you asking us to
follow you
trust you
honor you.
We hear you begging us to
seek you
find you
love you.
We hear you reminding us that you alone
are worthy of our
admiration
reverence
confidence.

We hear you, Lord.
And part of us wants more than anything
to find comfort and encouragement
in your voice, and to
respond to you with the best that we
have and are.
Part of us longs for the place of rest
your call offers.
Part of us knows that life
in you
would be the very best
of all possibilities.

We hear you, Lord.
But part of us finds it hard to let go
of our own ambitions
and the solutions we have
figured out for ourselves.
Part of us demands that we keep
trusting in ourselves
or at least in what
we can see and touch.

Cut through our layers of defense, Lord. Our
defiance
arrogance
self-sufficiency
greed
and all the things in us that keep telling us
to ignore your call.

Go to work on us, Lord.
In us.
Remake us in your image
so we can love you first and best.

We hear you calling us, Lord.
Help us, please,to listen.

(Submitted Via Internet Blog)

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is much more than a three-day weekend that marks the beginning of summer. To many people, especially the nation's thousands of combat veterans, this day, which has a history stretching back all the way to the Civil War, is an important reminder of those who died in the service of their country.

Dress Appropriatelly

The job I hated the most as a high school principal was dress code enforcement. Kids always tried to see what they could get away with wearing to school that was inappropriate. When it got warm………the shorts, tank tops, low cut shorts and sleeveless shirts came out. It was always such an enjoyable time explaining to the girls that the new low cut blouse you are wearing (just bought for $50) is not appropriate to wear to school, you will need to go home and change. After getting an ear-full from the parents on why they felt is was appropriate to wear, they were sent home to change. As a Superintendent, I don’t have to make those day-to-day decisions with students about dress any longer (unless the principals are gone) but there are times I have to talk to teachers and staff about appropriate dress. I never thought it would come to that. Our society has gone from one that covered up to one that wishes to display and flaunt. As a Christian, it’s sad to say it has come to church as well. I have been to congregations where I couldn't believe some of the revealing attire that was being worn.

I hope that all of us can re-examine our dress and what is appropriate attire this summer when we worship and in our daily living.

Remember we are the example of Christ, even in how we dress.

Thought for the Day

An optimist expects his dreams to come true;
A pessimist expects his nightmares to.

The Last Day of School

180 days later we come to the end of another school year.

Great memories.

Happy stories.

Sad stories.

Fun.

Suspense.

Tragedy.

Excellence.

Failure.

All make up the course of a school year.

Kids enjoy the summer. Be careful!

Parents I'm praying for you. Only 85 days until school begins in August.

A New Beginning

Sitting in my office on Friday morning reading Gary's e-mail that we sold the building made me think about what the church really is...

"The Church is not a physical building, but a group of believers; not a denomination, sect, or association, but a spiritual body. The Church is not an organization, but a communion, a fellowship of one body." (The Church - The Body of Christ, John MacArthur)

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus spoke firmly of His plans ... "I will build My Church; and the gates of Hell shall not overpower it."

"The Most exciting happening in history is the building of Christ's church. This church is not constructed with wood and stone, but with people who have come to trust Christ's loving forgiveness to the point of becoming His disciples.

His Church started with a few disciples who gathered together for prayer. When the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them, Peter preached a heart-stirring sermon and 3,000 new disciples were converted and baptized. Now the super-structure of His church began to take shape. These new disciples became participants in the greatest building project in the history of the world, They started to build Christ's Church and thus become part of the fulfillment of Jesus' promise, 'I will build My church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it."

We need to remind each other during this exciting period of transition that we (Central) are the Church. And we will be his people wherever we go.

Craig Home for the Summer

Craig returns home tomorrow from New York City. Looking forward having our little boy home for the summer...............

If That Isn't Love

My favorite Dottie Rambo song........

If That Isn't Love

He left the splendor of heaven,
Knowing His destiny,
Was the lonely hill of Golgotha,
There to lay down His life for me.

Chorus

If that isn't love;
The ocean is dry,
There's no stars in the sky,
And the sparrow can't fly.
If that isn't love;
Then heaven's a myth,
There's no feeling like this,
If that isn't love!

Even in death He remembered,
The thief hanging by His side;
There He spoke with love and compassion,
Then He took him to paradise.

Chorus

If that isn't love;
The ocean is dry,
There's no stars in the sky,
And the sparrow can't fly.
If that isn't love;
Then heaven's a myth,
There's no feeling like this,
If that isn't love!

Dottie Rambo Dies in Accident

Gospel singer Dottie Joyce Rambo dies
Associated Press

MOUNT VERNON, Mo. — Gospel singer-songwriter Joyce "Dottie" Rambo died early Sunday when the bus she was in ran off a road in southwest Missouri and struck an embankment.
Rambo, 74, of Nashville, Tenn., died in the crash about two miles east of Mount Vernon on Interstate 44, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said. Seven other people in the bus were injured, and were hospitalized in Springfield with moderate to severe injuries, the patrol said.
It was unclear if the accident, which occurred about 2 a.m., was weather-related, the patrol said. Severe storms and tornadoes hit the region about 6 p.m. Saturday, killing 14 people. Sustained winds and storms swept through the area later in the night, according to the National Weather Service.

"She was a giant in the gospel music industry," said Beckie Simmons, Rambo's agent. "Dolly Parton recorded some of her songs."

Parton sent condolences to "everyone involved in this terrible tragedy."

"I know Dottie is in heaven in the arms of God right now, but our earth angel will surely be missed," Parton said in a statement. "Dottie was a dear friend, a fellow singer, songwriter and entertainer, and as of late my duet singing partner."

Rambo was on her way to a Mother's Day performance in North Richland Hills, Texas, according to her Web site.

Rambo was inducted to the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame in 2006 and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2007.

Rambo has had more than 2,500 published songs, including gospel classics such as "He Looked Beyond My Fault and Saw My Need" and the 1982 Gospel Music Association Song of the Year, "We Shall Behold Him."

Waiting

I am very impatient at times. Waiting is not one of my attributes. The Lord’s perspective is very different. He says those who wait on Him will be blessed. (Isaiah 30:18) Pausing to hear from our Father is always the wisest action we can take. That’s how we receive clear direction. As believers, we’re not to operate as the world does. We don’t determine our course by human reasoning or the example of others. Our guidance is to come from God—the one who instructs us in the way which we should go. (Psalm 32:8)

Deputy Carriger

Friday morning we traveled to Hutchinson for Brian's graduation from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Academy.


Brian and his Grandparents.


Brian and cousin Emma.


Brian and his grandparents.

Brian and Sheriff Scot Brownrigg of Anderson County

Brian and his new 2008 Dodge Charger. Drive slow through Anderson County!

Brian and the proud Mom and Dad!

Brian and Allison.

Thursday Thought

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ”
Titus 2:11-13:

A Good Evening After a Hard Day at Work

Catfish season begins in about 4 weeks. This was a 4 pound cat I caught last week at my secret fishing hole. You should have seen the 10 pounder that got away on Monday.....it made me sick!

Worship

I like what Robert Webber wrote about worship...

We need to let go of our intellectual idea of worship and realize there is more to worship than a sermon; we have to let go of our evangelistic notion of worship and reckon with the fact that worship is not primarily directed toward the sinners who need to be converted; we must let go of our entertainment expectations and remind ourselves that we are not in church to watch a Christian variety show. We have gathered together in worship to be met by God the Almighty. God, the Creator of the universe, the One who sustains our lives, our Redeemer and King, is present through proclamation and remembrance. He wants to communicate to us, to penetrate our inner self, to take up residence within us. And, as we go through the experience of meeting with him in this mystical moment of public worship, we are to respond. But response is not just singing a hymn, not just saying a creed, not just saying a prayer. Response, from the very beginning of worship to the end, must be a powerful inner experience of actually being in the presence of God. When we sing a hymn or say a confession or prayer, we are not singing or saying words, but expressing a feeling, bringing our souls, truly responding and communicating to the living and active presence of a loving and merciful God. (Worship is a Verb, by Robert Webber, pg.114)

National Teacher Appreciation Week

"The dream begins, most of the time, with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you on to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called truth."--Dan Rather

Tuesday, May 6, 2008, is National Teacher Day. Thank a teacher for making our public schools great! Teachers in communities across the nation will be in the spotlight this week, as students, parents, school administrators and the general public learn how teachers are making Great Public Schools for every child.

Few other professionals touch as many people as teachers do. National Teacher Appreciation Week is a good time to learn about the contributions educators make to our community every day. We recognize them as role models.

Thank you teachers for making a difference in the lives of our young people.