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