Philippians 2:1-5 (New International Version)

¹If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ²then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. ³Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. ⁴Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.   ⁵Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

In so many places in the Bible, we are called to come together and be in community, as we find in this clear example.  What is it that makes being with other Christians and working towards a common purpose so important?

There may be many reasons.  We are told that whenever we gather in the name of Christ, he will be there with us.  What better reason!  Also, we know that "many hands make quick work" and "two heads are better than one."  I think there is one more old saw that is critical in understanding this scripture.  "There is no 'I' in team."

The last lines of this passage are essential to our growth as children of God.  In our infancy it is all about "me."  I cry when I am hungry and I coo when I am cuddled.  It is much the same in my life as a Christian.  I began by crying out, by asking hard questions, and being filled with fear at what the answers might be.  The more I heard, the more I learned, the more God sent people to guide and encourage me.  Like any infant, it was all about me during that time.  You cannot stay in infancy forever and hope to live a full life.  It is designed to last for a season, but then you must learn to walk and talk and live out the life that God has in mind for you.

Paul is basically saying to us that if we are experiencing the love of Christ in any way, we need to get with the program!  I have always known the existence of God.  I have felt him and seen his work all around me throughout my life.  But it was not until I asked for him, until I acknowledged my hunger for him, that my entire experience changed into life as I know it today.   I don't know how that could possibly have come about if I had been all on my own.  I just don't see how I could ever have gotten past the newborn stage without being connected to the community of Christ.

When I first came back to church as an adult, I said it was because I realized that my voice was too small to praise God all by itself.  My voice needed to join in with others to be able to float up to heaven.  Little did I know how true that was!

It is just that "smallness" that Paul is pointing out.  From Genesis to Revelation, we are taught that surrender of the self to God is the only appropriate posture for us.  Story after story demonstrates what happens when the individual thinks that they have it all figured out and that their personal desires are most important.  When we get too big for our britches, the reins get snapped!  Humble Pie isn't just a '70s rock powerhouse.  It is a dish that should appear on our menu daily!

What is the best way to take those first tottering steps from our infancy?  Being in contact with like-minded individuals, all seeking the Kingdom of God.  There is an energy that suffuses activities that are undertaken for God's purpose, not our own vanities.  We call that the Holy Spirit.  It is when the "me" comes first that the joy gets choked out of the endeavor.  Paul exhorts us to be more like Christ, to leave conceit and self-serving actions behind.  How can we get with the program, wherever we are in our faith walk?  In what ways can we strengthen our connection with the fellowship of believers?  Where do we need to check our own motives and replace them with Christ's attitude towards others?...something to pray about.

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A month ago, ten men from our church went on a one day retreat called, "A Man Fully Alive".  Our goal was to discover what is relevant to men and perhaps apply that to the men of our church in some organized fashion.  Although it has been a month, and you haven't heard much about it lately, it's pretty clear the question has never left our minds.

The issue came up in our small group on Thursday.  We actually spent most of our time discussing it even though we had planned to do other things.  It was as if God took over and explained what He wanted through us, we were a group of guys who had no idea what was happening.  We looked up and all of us agreed that we had just experienced a truly authentic God moment.  It was powerful.

If you are ever in a meeting with Russ be very careful when he picks up a dry erase marker.  Just saying.

During that meeting we discovered several things that are actually relevant to men.  We also discovered some ways to apply these ideas to our church through a group of men working together for a common purpose.  We might have found some ways to start and to grow a men's ministry at Emmanuel.  Our current sermon series is titled, "Finding Our Missing Pieces" and at that meeting we think we found some of the pieces.  God didn't provide us all the pieces, but He did lead us in the direction we should probably start looking for them.

The Women's Group has invited the men to lunch after the second worship service on September 19th.  After lunch the women hold their meeting downstairs and the men will be invited to a gathering upstairs.  It will be a brainstorming session to expand on some of the ideas we had last week and, with your input, we hope to move a little closer to starting an effective men’s ministry at Emmanuel.

If you are a man we invite you to join us for free food (provided by the women) and to a gathering that may help us discover the direction that God is leading us.  You will be surprised when you hear some of the plans - probably as surprised as our small group when we looked up and noticed what happened.

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Hello everyone,   I wanted to thank several people for their wonderful direction and help in making the UMW Sunday happen.  First thank you to Pastor Joe, who not only gave the okay for us to do the service, but gave me direction and suggestions on how to do it.  The biggest thank you is for sitting through the services and listening to us - you are wonderful Pastor Joe!  Next I would like to thank Tom and Keith, they spent their Saturday at church with Robin and I helping to put together the slide shows for the missions and the UMW happenings.  It looked so professional and I am so thrilled that it all went off without a hitch, wow, I am blessed to have you as friends.

Last, but not least, I would like to thank the UMW members. What can I say?  When you get a group of wonderful, committed, caring, serving, compassionate, awesome women together, THE SKIES THE LIMIT!  For everyone that participated or sat in the church in support, we needed everyone.  I was told more than once how nice our song was.  Do you think anyone knows we practiced it once by ourselves and once with Glenda?  Glenda you are wonderful to play for us and read my mind  to wing the music,,,you are loved!   Something very few know is that I gave out parts to the services and the ladies used their own thoughts and ideas to make the part their own.  It was amazing how you all complemented each other.  I am glad I had a box of kleenex near me as I needed them for both services.  While the men's Sunday was sooooo wonderful, I'd say we compliment each other very well.  Isn't that such a wonderful thing?

So, after all is said and done, I would like to again extend an invitation to all the ladies 20 to 100 years old to come and have fellowship, laughter, and serve with us.  We do work hard, but it is rewarding and more than that, fun!  I pray you will see the benefit in being with others who care so deeply about relationships and serving.  God bless you always,

In His Hands,
"Here we are Lord"
Love, Lynn Hartley, president Emmanuel United Methodist Women

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Hebrews 12:1-2(New International Version)

¹Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. ²Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

This week's scriptures that included the verses just before this passage concerning the suffering of the early church really shook me up.  All I could think about was the contrast between the terrible hardships those first Christians had to endure and our lives today.  It really puts any difficulties we may encounter in our organization into perspective.  Being on the run, having to hide from those seeking to eradicate them.  Giving up their homes and leaving family behind to live out the teachings of Christ.  Not being able to experience the everyday comforts of shelter, security, groceries on a regular basis, and on and on.  Many were tortured and murdered, often gruesomely so the Bible tells us.  How those first generations of Christians suffered!

Wait a minute...This sounds familiar.  Aid workers, medical teams, missionaries.  Enduring conditions and privations we couldn't tolerate.  Witnessing and too often experiencing inhuman treatment at the hands of terrorists, raiders and rebels.  Being imprisoned, tortured and murdered.  All to live out the Word of God.  This year.  Afghanistan, Africa, North Korea.  Not centuries ago.  Right now.

Of course, not everyone is called to this amazing service.  Yet, I hope we can remember these brothers and sisters the next time we grumble when the Sunday morning alarm clock sounds and we must roll out.  Or the next time we are debating whether or not we want to get involved or give a little time out of our busy schedules in the service of the Kingdom of God.  I hope that we remember how incredibly blessed we are to experience being part of the family of Jesus Christ.  Remeber how blessed we are to have the opportunity to learn about Our Lord and serve him while enjoying the comfort of our own homes, friends and family.  How blessed we are to take advantage of the freedom in our country to do these things without fear.

We are still surrounded by "such a great cloud of witnesses" to this day.  Step out of your everyday routine and into God's light.  Right here.  In our own church, so close to our own homes, where the time and effort is so small compared to the immeasurable blessings we already receive and those untold God has in store for us.  What can we do right here and now to show our gratitude, to share his joy?...Something to pray about.

Your Sister in Christ,
Vicki

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Genesis 18:20-33 (New International Version)

20 Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know."  22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD. 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?"  26 The LORD said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake."  27 Then Abraham spoke up again: "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?"

"If I find forty-five there," he said, "I will not destroy it."   29 Once again he spoke to him, "What if only forty are found there?"   He said, "For the sake of forty, I will not do it."

30 Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?"  He answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."   31 Abraham said, "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?"  He said, "For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it."   32 Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?" He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it."

33 When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.

I have to hand it to Abraham.  He was a pretty amazing fellow.  While I can't say that I always agreed with his judgement (see Genesis 12:10-20 for how he farmed out his wife to Pharaoh to insure his safety), I have to admit he was a bold character.

Genesis tells us that Abraham heard God calling to him and at the age of 75 he followed God's instructions and set out to find a new home in the plains of the River Jordan.  That took some faith and some powers of persuasion on his part, I am certain.  After a layover in Egypt to ride out a famine and grow his assets, he went on to find the land God had described.  In fact, they had grown so successful that Abraham's nephew, Lot, and his people had to split off and settle close to the town of Sodom to support their separate herds.  In Canaan, Abraham continued to grow ever closer to God and began the covenant ritual of circumcision that is still revered among Jews to this day.  That must have required a whole lot of faith and a whole lot of convincing his people.  Then the promise of a rightful son and heir to father a nation brought Abraham into an even closer relationship with God.  After all, Abraham enjoyed actual conversations with Our Heavenly Father - that's what I call close!

Even taking all that into consideration, I don't know if I could have tried to talk God out of a plan, if I were in Abraham's shoes.  If we were honest, most of us have tried to barter with God at one time or another.  "God, I promise I'll do such and such if you will only do so and so."  That is not what Abraham was doing.  Abraham was always respectful and humble.  Because God considered Abraham to be faithful and obedient, the story shows us that God was willing to listen to his petitions and show mercy.  Because Abraham asked.

I think it is kind of interesting that Abraham doesn't jump on his fastest camel and race to Sodom to warn his nephew to gather his people and clear out before God lets loose.  I mean, Abraham actually went to war not too many years before this conversation in order to save Lot.  This time he left it all in God's hands.  Abraham pleaded on behalf of however many good people were in the evil cities and then rested in God's mercy.  Abraham trusted Our Heavenly Father.  He asked.  He trusted.  Where in our lives are we asking and asking, but not listening to the answer?  Not trusting in God's promises?  Letting fear sound louder in our hearts than the voice of the Lord?...Something to pray about.

Your sister in Christ, Vicki

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Hello everyone, Just wanted to update you on our yard sale this weekend.  Money to be used for the kitchen remodeling so we can once again feed those in need.

Our yard sale was a huge success!  We sold 2/3's of a monumental amount of treasures.  Friday we had around 125 groups of people (a group was a man/wife or family or set of friends or parent/children.  We were not without someone visiting all day.

Saturday started out the same way, we talked with 165 groups of people.  Church information was handed out and word about the Blood Drive and the Craft Show were discussed.

The bake sale was so good, we had to re-bake for Saturday and it was almost completely sold.

While the work was hard and long in the beginning of the week, the actual sale was fun and being creative together to see how we could get certain items to sell, was really fun!

We will leave the sale items up in the fellowship hall for a short sale next Saturday 9am to 3pm, if you would like to shop after church tomorrow, feel free to come down to the basement and see if you can find your treasure :)

This very successful event puts us even closer to having our kitchen finished.  Praise be to the Lord for all He does for us in our endeavors.

I would like to thank everyone who participated. There were so many blue Emmanuel shirts around it was easy to see who to ask for prices or help....it was wonderful!  Special thanks to Lula, Janet, Anna, Brenda, Debbie, and Carol for the help in pricing the items.  Special thanks to all the men who cooked and took care of the Lobby of items for sale,  you were awesome!  And thank you to all who worked the bakesale, cashiers, organizers, and buyers...you will never know how much it meant.  The committee was wonderful and I can't thank you enough for being by my side and helping us get this first one off the ground.  God

Bless you all,
In His Grip,
Lynn

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Genesis 15:1-10, 17-18 (NIV) God's Covenant With Abram

1 After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:
"Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward. "

2But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3 And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir."

4 Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." 5 He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

7He also said to him, "I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it."

8 But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?"

9 So the LORD said to him, "Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon."

10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. 11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.

17When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. 18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.

So when Abram hears he will finally have a son and that he has been chosen to be the founding father of a lineage that would someday include the King of Kings, Our Savior, he says, "Oh, that's great!  Thanks!"  Maybe Abram thought that God was dabbling in hyperbole when he likened the number of descendants to the number of stars above.  The magnitude of God's message was greater than most of us could imagine.  But when God began to talk about real estate, now that was something tangible that Abram understood.  Abram had travelled across much of this land.  He had just fought fiercely across the land to rescue his nephew Lot and all his clan.  That God would give it all to him was mind boggling.
God didn't chastise Abram for doubting his pronouncement.  He didn't decide to skip Abram after all and choose someone else.  Instead, God gave Abram a task, another chance, and he completed it faithfully.  I can't imagine that Our Heavenly Father cared one bit about receiving the detailed shopping list of animals to be sacrificed.  My guess is that what he cared about was Abram's attitude and obedience.  God knows us so much better than we know ourselves.  Christ told us that even the very hairs on our head are numbered (Matthew 10:30 and Luke 12:7).  It was not through personal achievement that Abram was chosen.  God made the call.  When Abram faltered, God gave him another chance to hear what he was saying.  God showed Abram:  worship me, obey me, be in a relationship with me, and you will have blessings beyond your wildest imagination.  Abram eventually got the message.

God lays out his plans in the succeeding verses and explains that there will be many hardships ahead for Abram's descendants.  The message, however, is clear to Abram and it is there for us:  worship God, obey God, be in relationship with God, and he will always be there with you and for you.  Abram heard God's call.  How is he calling out to you?  Do we answer, "Yes, but...?"  Do we question whether or not it is for real?...Something to pray about.

Your sister in Christ,
Vicki

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Today ten men from our church traveled to Tip City, Ohio on a men's retreat, "A Man Fully Alive".  80% of the cost was paid for by our church in the hope that we would have a good turnout.  Today, the church made an investment in the men who attend Emmanuel. I thought I would share a little about the retreat and give all of you a overview of our day and what I observed along the way.

We are at war

I have lived my life not realizing that the entire human race is at war. Why am I just finding this out?  We are the front line of a spiritual war - a war of good verse evil.  The war is waged on all of us, we are the prize, and the enemy will win if we don't recognize his tactics and arm ourselves against them.  Today's retreat armed ten men for war.  It was relevant.  It was helpful.

Where to next

I'm hoping to have a follow-up meeting in the near future to discuss the retreat with the men who attended and to invite any other men who wish to attend.  I get the feeling that the men appreciated the church investing in them and it's time to look at what we learned and pray about what comes next.

The Disconnect

The retreat was hosted and organized by the West Ohio Conference of United Methodist Men. Our conference consists of 1100 churches but there were only about 50 men at the retreat.  50 men out of 1100 churches sends a clear message to me that it is very difficult to to stay consistently relevant to men in a church setting - especially if you are a small church.  Something is missing here and I've been racking my brain trying to figure out what it is and why.  Based on this dismal turnout I am concerned about the Men's Ministry as a whole. That if our conference hasn't been able to put a finger on a solution then what makes Emmanuel any different than the 1100?  My position remains skeptical.  How do you stay relevant to men in such a way that the Men's Ministry becomes effective and focused on a purpose and vision.

The investment

Our church appeared to be in the minority. Together, we took a risk.  It's very possible that Emmanuel made more of an investment in this retreat than any of the other 1100 churches.  When I came to this realization I couldn't help but wonder if our conference is investing in the life of Men's Ministry at all.  Is the Methodist Church intentional in focusing resources on more proven ministries?  Is a thriving Men's Ministry somewhat unobtainable and, as a result, neglected conference wide? Church-wide?

The Silent Wounded

Why only 50 men?  This message should have been heard by 3300.  Three men from each church in our conference should have been invited - not charged a fee - to hear this message and other messages that are relevant to men and relevant to the ministry of men.  It's very clear that there are some answers out there.  We heard some of them today.  At some point the conference, and perhaps the church, must come to the realization that we really are at war and that men are taking wounds that can't be healed by ignoring them. Once again the men take the hit because they have too much pride to accept the fact that they need help and they need it now.  It is a war that can not be won alone.  As a result, the health of the entire church grows weaker as we lose more and more battles in the war that must be won.  A war that can only be won with men equipped for the battle.

Back to us

Today, ten men agreed we are are in a war.  Ten men agreed this is relevant to them.  This is a step in the right direction.  Today we won a battle.  Chalk one up for the men, for the good side, for the God side.  Chalk one up for Emmanuel. The next question we will explore is, "So What?"  What do we do about it?  Can we figure out a way to win battles as a team of men who clearly recognize our circumstance?  Can we sustain it and become consistently affective?  Our do we remain too proud to admit that we can't do it alone.

That is surely something to pray about.

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Luke 11:1-4 (King James Version)

1And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.   2And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.   3Give us day by day our daily bread.   4And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

Whenever I see these words, especially in the King James Version, my lips begin to move.  Some things simply must be spoken aloud.  Some of you may remember a sermon we had several years back on this text and the importance in each phrase as we speak it.  This prayer is a template for living and its significance should never be taken for granted or repeated mindlessly.

Not too long ago (April 25, 2010, to be precise), Pastor Joe preached on Psalm 23 and the themes that run throughout the Bible establishing what God wants for us and from us.  Pastor Joe described how God tells us he wants to restore our souls, wants our obedience to his calling and teachings, and to maintain a healthy relationship with him and with each other.  If we look at this prayer from that perspective, we can see that Christ summed it up perfectly for us and all in about 29.8 seconds, as we profess it.

First and foremost, we must worship and honor Our Heavenly Father.  We must acknowledge that he is in control and it is his will that must be obeyed, not only to please him, but to find his peace in our lives.  We must never forget that all goodness and mercy come from him, being our basic sustenance.  God wants to be in a meaningful relationship with us and wants our human relationships to be filled with the same love and forgiveness.  We must remember that is is easy to lose focus on what is important, be led astray and allow evil to overtake our lives, unless we rely on God for strength and guidance.  The prayer that we know ends as it begins, paying homage to the God who is Creator and Ruler over all.

Christ gave us the perfect format:
1.  Praise the Lord as the Most Holy.
2.  Acknowledge his power and submit your will to his, owning up to your shortcomings   and asking for forgiveness.
3.  Call on the promises of his love with confidence that he will be with you, lead you, and provide you with what he knows to be right for your life.
4.  Thank him and praise him in the name of our Beloved Savior.

How simple.  How beautiful.  How can The Lord's Prayer take on a new meaning in our hearts?  How can this model prayer make a real change in the life of our church and in our own lives?...Something to pray about.

Your sister in Christ,
Vicki

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I've been thinking about three "good things" that happened last week since Joe's sermon on Sunday.   So I thought I would share three good things that happened on the church website this past year...

1) Our church has embraced the website.   Everyone who is a member of a ministry team is registered and new families are registering almost every week. (This has been a dream of mine since I started working on it five years ago.)

2) People are using the website to communicate their ministry.  New stories are submitted every week.  People are using the group email.  Most everyone is receiving our FIVE newsletters in their email.  Everyone registered is receiving our praise and prayer requests.

3) Internet ministries are starting through the website. (I never considered people could use the website as the main tool for their ministry.  God is good!)

Dreams do eventually become reality if you listen to your calling. The above list is my proof that if you honor God's wishes he will reward you.  He has rewarded me through the entire membership at Emmanuel and for that I thank all of you.  I look forward to seeing what's next! 

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