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PASTOR RICK'S EMAIL MESSAGES |
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SEPTEMBER 1, 2010
GOOD MORNING!
It’s over…just like that the summer is
gone (at least according to the
calendar). School is in session, the
month is September…and once again I ask
myself…where has the time gone?
Perhaps I should ask myself, why did the
summer of ’10 race by? Was it because
I’m getting older? Perhaps. Was it
because the summer was filled to the
brim with activities? Maybe.
Or was it because I wasn’t paying
attention and enjoying the “present”
when it was here?
I have that problem, you know, always
somewhere else in my mind. We
“multi-taskers” are often bodily in one
place while thinking and working
“out-of-body” in another. When we were
hosting our C.A.M.P. I was thinking
about the WORSHIP IN THE PARK on the 4th
of July. When the 4th of
July came I was thinking about my sermon
series in August…when August came I was
already making Christmas plans (which
are exciting, by-the-way!).
I’m exaggerating, of course, because at
52 I HAVE learned to enjoy the moment
I’m in. I learned that when my oldest
son suddenly, and without warning,
turned 21-years-old…when just a few days
before I had helped him take his first
steps.
Planning is one thing, but worrying
about what hasn’t happened is
another…and it goes against everything
God teaches us. In the scripture and in
the life God shows us, it is imperative
to stop, to look, to listen, to feel and
just to “be”. It is just for that
reason that God gave us the Sabbath.
The Sabbath is made for us, that’s what
Jesus said. It was made for us to just
“be”; to enjoy the presence of one
another and God Himself. It is regular,
it is timely, it is what our bodies
crave and need. Doctors agree that
almost 90% of what they treat is
stress-related.
The summer of ’10 didn’t go by any
faster than usual, but something about
the way I experienced the summer made it
seem faster…it’s what my buddy Einstein
called, “relativity”: “60 seconds
sitting next to a beautiful woman seems
to go by like the blink of an eye, but
60-seconds sitting on a hot stove can
feel like an eternity…THAT’S
relativity.”
The moments I have with you and my
brothers and sisters at Central, the
times with my family, are all precious
to me…and worth my concentration…but
more than that…to obey the Word of God
and “remember the Sabbath and keep it
holy” is something that requires my
effort and concentration. After all,
when you think about what “eternity” is,
it is the “now” the “present” where
there is no beginning and no end.
God wants us to enjoy the moments, some
of them will be fast-paced, some of them
slow, some of them sad and some happy…in
all moments, and in all things, give
thanks…and enjoy!
THIS SUNDAY | September 5th Join us
for worship. Pastor Rick continues his
“HE SAID WHAT?!” series…Dr. Randy will
bring music for worship.
MONDAY | September 6th is
LABOR DAY…remember, the Church Office
Will Be Closed.
Please bring some Non-Perishable food
for our FOOD PANTRY, which is bare!
Thanks!
TIMES of PRAYER: NINE, NOON & THREE
This week we are praying for
CENTRAL’S OUTREACH MINISTRIES
and
GREATER PROGESSIVE TEMPLE OF FAITH
CHURCH
Chuck Caswell, Phil Dean, Jayna Friend,
Rosie Hailston, Ted & Suzi McDuffee,
Marian McLaughlin, Pauline Merritt,
Barbara Murphy, Kathy Weaver & Nina
Wright
I love you all…SEE YOU IN CHURCH!
AUGUST 25,
2010
Good Afternoon!
John Lennon said, “Life is what happens
while you are busy making other plans.”
For me, this last week (between last
Wednesday and this) has been “Life”…and
God has worked through things that HE
DIDN’T PLAN for me. (I’ll talk about
THAT later.)
Last Thursday morning, after speaking
and leading in song at our monthly
BETHANY POINTE worship time, I stopped
by the office of a friend for whom I’m
doing a little design work…on my way
back to the church. As I was parked
across the street from his office a
driver pulled around the corner at a
more-than-fast rate and smashed into the
rear of my car, propelling it another
thirty feet (parking brakes on) and then
driving off with smoke pouring out of
his vehicle…on down Main Street. I
looked out the window just in time to
see the “after-effect” on my poor little
Nissan Altima: the rear end completely
bashed in, the gas tank in the back
seat, glass and plastic all over the
road…but I wasn’t in the car (I’d be in
the hospital now if I had been!). It
seems that this driver had caught the
attention of several on Broadway and one
good citizen was following him, and was
talking to the police about his driving
even as he plowed into my car. And in a
singularly-appropriate moment the
driver’s smoking car stopped dead in
front of the police station on
Main…where the officers conveniently
took him into custody. The long and
short of it is, the driver had no
insurance so I’m paying for my rental
car (which won’t be reimbursed), but my
car was totaled and that will cover any
and all the other expenses. No one was
in the car, it’s just a car…but that
event has controlled a major part of my
day, every day since then…LIFE.
I didn’t plan for all of this when I
made the quick and somewhat random
decision to stop before going directly
to the church…but it happened. And
through it all I have been reminded
about some truths that I need (and maybe
we all need) to remember:
1.
God does not plan bad things for His
children, they happen because we live in
a fallen and broken world. Bad things
happen to good people. Bad things
happen to bad people. God is sad,
either way…however…
2.
“All things work together for GOOD
for those who love God and are called
according to His purpose.” Note:
that doesn’t mean that God causes bad
things, it means that He uses the
inevitable bad and changes it to
good…for those who love Him.
3.
LIFE is not about me. God has a
purpose, but my life also has impact on
others and God’s plan for them. I was
not injured, but even if I HAD been,
this life of mine is not my own
and whatever “lot” I find myself in, I
am still the Lord’s. Just because
something “bad” has happened to me (if
it had) doesn’t mean that God is
punishing me (see #1). It could mean a
number of things: I’ve made a stupid
decision, someone else has made a stupid
decision…or bad things just happen.
Either way, I am still the Lord’s child.
Every part of our lives, from the small
incidents like this or larger things,
like a terrible medical diagnosis, death
of a loved-one, or loss of any
kind…remind us of what LIFE is: a
journey through which we realize God’s
love for us.
This same week I’ve been dealing with
friends, within and without the walls of
Central Christian, who are dealing with
very challenging life lessons on death
and suffering. Having one’s car smashed
while parked on the side of the road is
nothing compared to the things my
friends are going through…and if I’ve
learned anything it is to be continually
thankful for what I have. If I don’t
realize it on my own, I’m sure to be
reminded by another “life lesson”…one
that will make itself fully-known while
I’m busy making other plans.
THURSDAY | August 26th
be a part of THE LUNCH BUNCH. We meet
at noon in the Fellowship Hall…bring
some food to share and $1 (and your
table service).
FRIDAY | August 27th
It’s our LAST FREE FRANKFURTER FRIDAY
for a while…come enjoy a free lunch on
us, from 11a-1p this Friday
THIS SUNDAY | August 29th Join us
for worship. Pastor Rick continues his
“HE SAID WHAT?!” series…Dr. Randy will
bring music for worship.
The PASTORAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE
meets on Sunday afternoon. If you have
any comments to make to the PRC, so that
they can pass them on to Pastor Rick,
please contact one of the PRC members:
Karen Custer, Christie Huff, Sara
Keller, Laura Patton, Jason Glaze or
Gary Schuster, Jr.
Please bring some Non-Perishable food
for our FOOD PANTRY, which is bare!
Thanks!
TIMES of PRAYER: NINE, NOON & THREE
Please pray for our OUTREACH
MINISTRIES at Central
GRACE CHAPEL FOURSQUARE
Martha Carmichael, Chuck Caswell, Phil
Dean, Jayna Friend, Suzi McDuffee,
Marian McLaughlin, Pauline Merritt,
Barbara Murphy & Kathy Weaver
I love you all…SEE YOU IN CHURCH!
AUGUST 11, 2010
Good
Morning!
I hope
that you're all cool on this very hot
day. I started off the day with my
daily "fix" of coffee…but today, over
ice!
I have
little rituals that I enjoy each day,
including my coffee. I also have some
readings that I enjoy starting off the
day with. I read some from a book
called, "A Year With C.S. Lewis" (one of
my favorite Christian writers). I also
have a devotional book called, "A Guide
to Prayer for Ministers and Other
Servants"…that helps guide me through a
worship time of prayer for myself, my
family and all of you.
But one
of the more fascinating daily readings I
enjoy (while still sipping my coffee) is
a gift someone gave me, a book called
"The Intellectual Devotional". Now
don't assume that my friend thinks I'm
intellectual, in fact, this book is
supposed to help you BE more
intellectual. It's a great book, each
day is differently themed with
information about HISTORY (Mondays),
LITERATURE (Tuesdays), VISUAL ARTS
(Wednesdays), SCIENCE (Thursdays), MUSIC
(Fridays), PHILOSOPHY (Saturdays) and
RELIGION (naturally, Sundays).
Today I read a page about the Italian
painter, Botticelli's painting, "The
Birth of Venus" which I saw in person at
the Uffizzi Gallery in Florence, Italy
some years ago.
Botticelli loved beauty, as you can well
imagine. His belief was that ALL things
came from God, including some pagan
beliefs. His paintings sometimes drew
from Scripture AND Roman Mythology
because he saw all things beautiful as
coming from the throne of the Creator;
he had no trouble reconciling both
things together. Somewhat late in
life, Botticelli fell under the
influence of a very charismatic monk
named Savonarolla who believed that all
"luxury" items of the Renaissance
(paintings, sculptures, etc. that had no
practical value) were pulling people
away from God. He encouraged citizens
to burn their paintings and luxury
tapestries, books of poetry and other
things that HE considered worthless
because they were merely beautiful.
From this act comes a term we are still
using today, "the bonfire of the
vanities". Botticelli also took some of
his originals; drawings, paintings, etc
and threw them into the bonfire as well.
It struck me, while reading this that
there is a sense in "beauty for beauty's
sake". I believe that our Father IS the
creator of beauty, and to spend money on
something that reminds you of the True
Creator and helps you see God and
Yourself in the True Light, is well
worth an investment. When I walked
through the Uffizzi in Italy, I was
transported to a place that was "higher"
than when I entered. I was inspired to
be a better "artist" and creator myself,
when I saw the historic works…I was, in
short, given a greater glimpse of God.
There was another historic place
outside, in the plaza of the Uffizzi…it
held more meaning for me. It was a
bronze plaque, set in the stone of the
street, marking the place where the
monk, Savonarolla was burned at the
stake…when the people had enough of
him. A sad ending to the life of
perhaps a great man, driven by an
obsession that probably started out as a
the seed of a good idea. Art should
never REPLACE God, but should remind us
of all that is "Good, Beautiful & True".
I asked
God to provide me with everything I need
today…and this message was what my soul
needed to hear. I continued to seek the
Lord, and found Him in an unexpected
place. I continue to knock on the door
today…that God will open and lead me to
another great adventure.
It's a
pleasure walking this adventure with
you…look for beauty today, something
that will remind you of how beautiful
you are in God's eyes.
If you haven’t
checked out our website lately, go to
www.central-christian-church.com
and click on the WEDDINGS page…new
photos from some of our church family
who were married at CENTRAL!
FRIDAY | August 13th If you
can bear the heat…come and enjoy some
lunch ON US! “FREE FRANKFURTER FRIDAYS”
continues this Friday from 11a-1p at the
Chapel Door Entrance.
THIS SUNDAY | August 15th Join us
for worship. Pastor Rick continues his
“HE SAID WHAT?!” series…and Phyllis Dodd
will bring some music on the organ…as
Dr. Randy is enjoying a well-deserved
vacation.
Please bring some Non-Perishable food
for our FOOD PANTRY, which is bare!
Thanks!
TIMES of PRAYER: NINE, NOON & THREE
Please pray for our OUTREACH
MINISTRIES at Central
GRACE BIBLE FELLOWSHIP
Martha Carmichael, Chuck Caswell, Phil
Dean, Jayna Friend, Suzi McDufee, Marian
McLaughlin, Pauline Merritt, Barbara
Murphy, Gary Oakley, Kathy Weaver
Our
sympathy to the family of GERALD WHITTON
on his passing Monday.
I love you all…SEE YOU IN CHURCH!
JULY
28, 2010
Good
Morning All…
A few
days ago I woke up to the sound of heavy
machinery in the street. If you haven’t
noticed…virtually all of the downtown area
is being resurfaced. Of course, I don’t
need to know how they’re doing what
they’re doing…unless I’m paying for it,
or it’s going to lock me into my house!
But that’s the beauty of “community”;
everyone has work to do that supports
everyone else, so that ALL of our lives can
be better…that’s the IDEAL anyway.
I’m
assuming that they know what they’re
doing…in other words, I TRUST them to do
their job. I rely on them to do their job,
and I silently THANK them for doing their
job.
I’ve
worked in businesses (and churches)
where ONE person seemed to do everything.
You can guess what happened, THINGS GOT
MISSED. There are churches that I know of
where the Pastor is required to be ALL
things to ALL people…and I can tell you that
not only does it not work, it’s not
what the scripture defines as “church”. In
fact the scripture and the Holy Spirit are
clear in their description of ALL the
members working together as ONE Body…with
JESUS as the head. Good grief, in this
scenario even JESUS doesn’t do EVERYTHING.
I’m
saying this because sometimes I feel
frustrated at not being able to do
everything that I want to, in a timely
manner. I sometimes feel that I don’t get
to study as much as I should, visit as much
as I should, teach as much as I should…etc.
And I have one of those personalities that
needs to multi-task to get ANYTHING
done, and I like to stay busy. But I thank
God that He has placed me in a community
filled with people who “step in”, who, like
the guys in orange vests across the street,
know what they’re doing and do it…who
understand that the Pastor can’t be
everywhere at the same time, can’t be all
things to all people, and shouldn’t
represent the entirety of spiritual gifts
that each church family should have.
What
I’m saying, I guess, is “thank you” for
being the teachers, the visitation
ministers, the prayer warriors, the artists,
the workers, the helpers that God has called
you to be…thank you for “picking up the
slack”, for “going above and beyond”, in
short, for being the “Body of Christ” on
earth. I am blessed to be with you all…
…and I
love you all, and if I can get out of my
front door and am not surrounded by heavy
machinery…I’ll see you in church!
If you haven’t checked out our website
lately, go to
www.central-christian-church.com
and click on the WEDDINGS page…new photos
from some of our church family who were
married at CENTRAL!
TIMES of PRAYER: NINE, NOON & THREE
Please pray for our OUTREACH
MINISTRIES at Central
FRIDAY |
July 30th If you can bear the
heat…come and enjoy some lunch ON US! “FREE
FRANKFURTER FRIDAYS” continues this Friday
from 11a-1p at the Chapel Door Entrance.
THIS SUNDAY | August 1st Join us
for worship, as the EPWORTH SINGING SCHOOL
CHOIR (which has been meeting at A.U. all
week for workshops and rehearsals) will join
us for worship, leading in song…under the
direction of CRAIG COURTNEY, and accompanied
by RANDY FRIELING. Our sermon Sunday will
be brought to us by the Rev. Dr. Derek
Weber.
FOLLOWING WORSHIP…please join us
for an ALL-CHURCH LUNCH, with the choir, in
our Fellowship Hall. We will supply the
MAIN COURSE and DRINKS…if you’ll bring
enough food to feed your family and at least
one other family (we will be hosting the
choir members). LAST NAMES A-G:
Potato Dish, H-J: Side, other than
Potato Dish, K-P: Fruit or Salad,
Q-Z: Dessert
FOLLOWING LUNCH…you are welcome
and encouraged to attend the 2:00pm
CONCERT of the EPWORTH SINGING SCHOOL CHOIR,
the EPWORTH YOUTH CHOIR and EPWORTH STRING
ENSEMBLE in our sanctuary.
THE FOLLOWING SUNDAY |
AUGUST 8TH
| ANNUAL “JAZZ
SUNDAY”
The
“Doctors of Dixieland”, led by Dr. Mark
Murray, will lead us musically in worship,
as they do each year, on Sunday, August 8th
at 10:00am. Please join us for this
annual, musical, fantastical Sunday of
worship!
Please bring some Non-Perishable food
for our FOOD PANTRY, which is bare! Thanks!
This Week, at NINE, NOON & THREE…PLEASE
PRAY FOR:
This week we
are praying for “Free Frankfurter Fridays”
Ministry
SOUTH
SIDE CHURCH OF GOD | South Bend, Indiana
Chuck
Caswell, Phil Dean, Jayna Friend, Marian
McLaughlin, Pauline Merritt, Barbara Murphy,
Gary Oakley, Kathy Weaver & Gerald Whitton
Our
love and sympathy go to CAROLE STROCK upon
the passing of her sister, Louise Bailey.
I
love you all…SEE YOU IN CHURCH!
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Central Christian Church | Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ) | Anderson, Indiana |
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