FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 - WITNESS COMMITTEE MEETING 4:15 PM
SUNDAY, September 5 - WORSHIP 9:00 AM
THURSDAY, September 9 - PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN 9:30 AM PM
SUNDAY, September 12 - HYMN SING SERVICE 9:00 AM
TUESDAY, September 14 - MORE FUN TOGETHER 6:00 PM
THURSDAY, September 16 - JOB BIBLE STUDY 5:30-6:30 PM
SUNDAY, September 19 - WORSHIP 9:00 AM
SUNDAY, September 19 - SESSION MEETING 7:00 PM
WEDNESDAY, August 22 - JOINT WORSHIP COMMITTEE 6:30 PM at Hoxie
THURSDAY, September 23 - JOB BIBLE STUDY 5:30-6:30 PM
SUNDAY, September 26 - WORSHIP 9:00 AM
WEDNESDAY, September 29 - WORSHIP COMMITTEE - 5:15 PM
THURSDAY, September 30 - JOB BIBLE STUDY 5:30-6:30 PM
SERMON 2 - JUNE 13, 2010
Ahhh! Jesus
Prayer is the inner bath of love into which the soul plunges itself.
St. John Vianney
Falling into Jesus' arms like taking the Nestea plunge - an "ahhh" moment
Let go
Relinquish control
Claim our baptism
Dying and being raised in Christ
Old life washed away; new life in Christ
Gethsemane
Prayer as struggle
Unanswered prayer
Put ourselves at God's will
Which is not resignation or fatalism
Catherine Marshall "Resignation is barren of faith in the love of God....Resignation lies down quietly in the dust of a universe from which God seems to have fled, and the door of hope swings shut."
Prayers of Transformation and release
- Brings new answers
- "Crucifixion of the will" - Can find peace knowing we have died and been raised in Christ - God's greater good will always triumph
- "Freedom of burden of not having to always get our own way"
- With crucifixion there is always resurrection
Practice of Transformational Prayer
Confession
Surrender - "Not my will, but thine."
Abandonment of own will to discover God's will
Release everything to God and let God deal with it
Resurrection - Bring back to life those things that bring new life and further God's kingdom
Most of all prayer changes us. Made new in Christ.
Involves discipline and commitment
Bonhoeffer - "Prayer is not a free-will offering to God; it is an obligatory service, something which God requires of us."
Can be done out of guilt or joyful abandonment -"ahhh moment"
Covenants of Prayer
- Covenant of Obedience - Promise to obey God's voice
- Covenant of Time - Commit to regular experience of prayer on a schedule that world best for you.
- Covenant of place - Have both a place of escape and a community
- Covenant of Heart Preparation - Prepare yourself to pray
Tryst with God - set aside time for a date with God
Blessed Savior, I pace back and forth at the altar of commitment. I really do want a fixed habit pf prayer. At least, that is what I want right now. I'm not sure if that's what I will want two weeks from now. I do know that without some kind of consistent communion with you I will not know holy obedience. So, as best I can, I promise to set aside time regularly for prayer, meditation, and spiritual reading. Strengthen me in this convenant. Help me to so delight in your presence that I will want to come home to you often. In your name and for your sake I make this covenant. Amen.
Primary reference is Prayer - Finding the Heart's True Home
by Richard J. Foster (Harper One, 1992)
SERMON SERIES ON PRAYER
SERMON 1 - JUNE 6, 2010
LORD TO TEACH US TO PRAY
Pray as you can, not as you can't.
Dom John Chapman
God invites us to come home to presence of God
Where we belong
The home for which we have been created
Real prayer comes from falling in love with God
Julian of Norwich - The Trinity is my everlasting lover
Charles Wesley - Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to they bosom fly
Simple prayer - we are the focus
Prayer of beginning again
Shows our good, bad and ugly sides as ordinary people, bringing ordinary concerns to a loving and compassionate God
Most common form in scripture
Moses - Numbers 11:1b-12/Exodus 32:32
Elisha - 2 Kings 2:24/ 2 Kings 4:16
Psalms - Psalm 137:9/All of Psalm 136
C. S. Lewis - Lay before God what is in us, not what ought to be in us.
Reminders
- Prayer is ongoing love relationship with God.
- Don't be discouraged by lack of prayer. Give to God what we can, and then let God be our prayer. (Romans 8:26)
- Start simply and don't try too hard. Avoid "spiritual indigestion."
- Pray when even all you can think about is your own sins. When we try to hide our disobedience from God, we become even further separated from God.
- Keep it simple. Use everyday words and don't expect ecstatic experiences. Prayer time may seem uneventful, and that's just fine.
- The more we pray the more we will move from feeling that God is part of our lives to the realization that we are part of God's life.
Primary reference is Prayer - Finding the Heart's True Home
by Richard J. Foster (Harper One, 1992)
You're invited to be part of something new. COFFEE WITH CAROL is a time for informal discussion about any questions, wonders, comments you may have about all things religious or dealing with faith, scripture, even God. We are meeting Saturday, July 17 at 1:00 PM at Smoffies. No preparation is necessary. There is nothing to study or read ahead of time. Just come and chat.
The Sunday morning worship services are recorded each week in order to provide tapes for those who are unable to attend worship and would like to hear the service and even for those who attended and would just like a copy to listen to again. To request a tape of one of our worship services please call the Church Office at 462-6342 so that a copy can be made for you.
Podcasts of the worship service can be found by clicking "Podcasts" on this website.
We continue to collect aluminum cans and aluminum pie tins in the large trash cans near the office in the Christian Education Building. A HUGE thank you to everyone who donates their aluminum regularly. The money collected goes into the youth fund.
Home Communion is a service provided to any member who is unable to participate in a regular corporate communion service and who wishes to have the opportunity to celebrate the sacrament. It is not necessary for a person to be home-bound or shut-in for them to be served. The pastor is pleased to be able to offer this service to anyone who wants to commune. If such service is desired and no one contacts you, please feel free to call the church to request home communion during the week following a regular communion service.
Don't forget to purchase your Dillons Cards. They can be purchased at the church for $5.00. When you go to Dillons additional money can be credited to the card at the Customer Service Desk. The church makes 5% from every dollar you put on the card. This is an easy way to help the church and to pay for your groceries and gas at DIllons.
Ushers and Greeters are needed. The Ushers and Greeters sign up sheet is on the table in Fellowship Hall. Please take time and sign up for the months where you can help out.
Monday: 9 AM - 11:30 AM; Afternoons in Hoxie
Tuesday: 10 AM - 4 PM
Wednesday: In Hoxie all day
Thursday: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Friday: Pastor's Day Off
Rev. Rahn will try to be in the office as planned. However, meetings or visitation may need to be scheduled during these times, so it is a good idea to call ahead. Rev. Rahn is available for hospital visits when informed, as well as for counseling and home visitation when requested.