Newsletter Highlights

Monday, August 11, 2008

In the Great Events of THIS WEEK:

THE BOY SCOUTS meet this evening (Monday) at 7:00 P.M.

SCHOOL STARTS ON MONDAY!

THE BUILDING &GROUNDS Committee meets tonight (Monday) at 7:00 P.M. as they make final preparations for the 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION, as well as look at other matters of repair that need to be addressed.

THE FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE meets on Tuesday evening at 7:00 P.M.

THE CHOIR practices on Wednesday evening at 7:00 P.M.

THE F.I.S.H.STICKS practice on Wednesday evening at 7:00 P.M.

THE BANNER BEES meet on Thursday morning at 9:00 A.M.

THE PRESBYTERIAN MEN meet on Thursday evening at 7:00 P.M. at the Southern Family Restaurant in Pfafftown.

Sunday will begin with EARLY EDITION WORSHIP at 9:00 A.M.

In the evening the SESSION will gather at 6:30 P.M. at the MILAM home for a time of fellowship meal together.

MONDAY IS LABOR DAY, which means next week's e-newsletter might be delayed a day.

So, NEXT Tuesday will begin with the MORNING CIRCLE meeting at 10:00 A.M. for a time of food, fellowship and Bible Study.

THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Committee will be meeting for the LAST''' time on Tuesday at 7:00 P.M.

A Word From Jud

It is not a secret that one of my favorite passages in the Bible is from the 25th chapter of Matthew. It is really a judgment passage, but I see it as a call to love and compassion, the same love and compassion God gives us. The heart of the message centers on six calls to minister unto each other: "I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me." There are only six, but I believe Jesus meant them to be comprehensive. That is to say, they cover everything we need to be concerned about! And, they have an order. That is to say, although they are all important, some might be more important than others.

And, each has multiple dimensions. That is to say, each can be seen physically (most obviously), but also emotionally and spiritually. One can't live if they are hungry or thirsty, but hunger and thirst also point to the emptiness of the soul, the lostness of a person from the inside out. To feed in any of these ways, or to give a person that which refreshes the body and/or soul, is a truly precious gift indeed.

The stranger is always lifted up in the Old Testament, ostensibly because the people of Israel were strangers in the land of Egypt. Yet, the concept goes far deeper than that. Sometimes we are truly strangers. Virtually all the time there is a little bit of the stranger in our soul. There are always times we feel removed, left out, not included, not belonging. So to touch and heal the "stranger" in another person is truly a gift of God.

The naked is similar. It is a true point of poverty to be without physical clothing. But, we always cover ourselves up! We wear clothes, and personality. We decorate ourselves with jobs, and positions, . . . with power and prestige. But, sometimes something will happen that reveals our inner self. No matter how that looks we are ashamed to have it revealed to the world, just as we would not want to be physically naked in public. To cover, or cover for, another is a gracious gift of God.

Now sick and in prison should not be in one category, but tonight they are. Being physically sick is in a great way a devastatingly dramatic reality that one cannot know, unless one has "been there." To minister to a physically sick person is a gracious act of love. And, one does not usually find themselves in prison for things that are viewed in a good light by the world. So, it really takes going the extra mile to visit with the "fallen." But, life also presents real opportunities to be sick in spirit. People who are sick in spirit are not always very well understood, or appreciated. And, life has many prisons that do not have bars. Sometimes the bars that trap another person are not seen at all by others. Often they are not appreciated for their power. So, when you can touch the sick and bring them a little piece of healing, or bring a little bit of wholeness to one trapped in some sort of prison, you are truly the loving hand of God.

We all need to be ministered to, . . . but perhaps more so, we all need to minister to: the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison.

take care,

jud