Trinity deacons will be serving up breakfast for anyone who can stand our cooking. Come out and start 2008 the right way: with some good, home-cooked biscuits and gravy. For exact times we will be serving, contact the church office.

I’m not sure but maybe we can get back to normal this week, whatever normal is. The whole month of December seems a blur with the holidays, the ice storm, the canceled services and all that went on. And yet we exceeded our Lottie Moon Goal! We had a goal of $6000 and through the Sunday School hour on January 6th we had $6559. Praise the Lord. Our Wednesday evening schedule gets back to normal this week with dinner at 5:30 pm and all the other activities beginning at 6:30 pm. Kids are back in school, vacations have ended it is time to settle back into routine or is it?

Routines aren’t necessarily bad. They are often quite comfortable. They are familiar, you pretty much know what to expect and you’re seldom surprised. But routines easily become ruts. Ruts are confining and controlling. I’m praying that 2008 will be anything but routine. I’m not much for New Year’s resolutions, mostly because I seldom if ever keep them past a week or two. But what if we were to resolve to do a few things together throughout 2008? Such as:
Resolved: to grow spiritually by spending time daily in prayer and study of the Word of God.
Resolved: to move outside of my comfort zone and take the Gospel to my world. This would include personally sharing our faith and looking at our community as a mission field.
Resolved: to invest my life in others. To build genuine friendships with lost people around me and earn the right to tell them of the hope that is in me.
Resolved: to give myself to Christ through the work of my church.
What difference do you think that would make? Would it break us out of our routine? It’s worth considering. I’ll see you Sunday.

Rod

(A Wednesday-evening series)

• 01/09/08: Be Certain You’re In, from 2 Peter 1:1-11
• 01/16/08: Be Certain, from 2 Peter 1:12-21
• 01/23/08: Beware!, from 2 Peter 2:1-22
• 01/30/08: Delay, Denial and Certainty, from 2 Peter 3:1-18

The Lord’s Supper is one of two ordinances given us by our Lord. It is a symbolic remembrance of our Savior’s atoning sacrifice. We believe it is a symbolic act. The Supper is a symbol but not a mere symbol. Please do not read symbol as unimportant or ritual. There is something wonderful and moving about our joining together in the taking the Supper. While we do not believe that grace is dispensed through the bread and cup, we do believe it is an act of worship and thus a life impacting event. On Sunday evening we will be observing a “Silent Lord’s Supper.” This will be an evening of music, prayer, meditation and remembrance. I hope that you will join us for this unique experience. I also want to let you know that we will be observing the Supper again on Sunday morning in late February or Early March.

I look forward to joining you in worship this coming Lord’s Day.

Rod

As I’m writing this I’ve just finished my third or fourth call related to illness within our church family. I guess that’s on my mind due to the fact that we have so many who are sick at this time. Some dealing with the flu and or the virus going around; some are in the hospital or just came home; others are facing surgery or dealing with some long-term illness. It is a bit overwhelming and not a little depressing! But there is another reason why it is on my mind. Last night as we came together around the Lord’s Table, I was struck by the thought of the body of Christ. Not his physical body but his body – the church.

I was struck by how much the Scriptures speak of the congregation or the assembly. I thought of how often the Scripture addresses us as a people rather than as individuals. We are connected to one another by design and of necessity. We need one another. The “body” is essential for our spiritual growth and development. We are not to think of ourselves apart from the others who make up this body. Just as I need all the members of my body to function together if I’m going to accomplish whatever task I’m engaged in – we must function together, each fulfilling his or her role. And there are no “unimportant” members. We cannot say to any of the members of our body, “I really don’t need that. It really serves no purpose.” None of us wants or desires paralysis within our physical bodies why would we just accept it within the church? If part of my body shuts down – you can bet I’m going to the doctor and see what’s causing it before it’s too late. So why do we sit back and do nothing while part of our church body shuts down?

I know these are not the normal thoughts accompanying the Lord’s Table, but then you never know where the dinner conversation might lead when the Father comes to the table! I’ll see you Sunday.

Rod