Prayer for Mission in Chile

This week we pray for Elena Huegel, our missionary to Chile.  She serves as an environmental and Christian education specialist with the Pentecostal Church of Chile.

You can read more about the mission to Chile here, including a reminder of women who are becoming professionals and seeking to improve life in their communities.

There are Christian missionaries serving on our behalf in many countries around the world.  Each week, Global Missions highlights the work in one of these countries and asks the wider church to pray for its continued vitality in spreading the Gospel.

August 17 Worship: "Auntie Mame"

Again on Sunday the weather looked ominous, but no rain fell from the dark morning clouds.  But there was plenty going on at Eastgate, including a number of concerns weighing on various people, as well as many joys to share.  Needless to say, there were plenty of reasons to pray to God and to praise God as we gathered together.

We again continued the Summer Blockbuster Sermon Series, considering the boisterous comedy Auntie Mame.  This tale of an irrepressible woman seeking to suck the marrow out of life (played by the also irrepressible Rosalind Russell), seemed the perfect story to consider the teaching of Qoheleth in Ecclesiastes, that the best way to live is to eat, drink, and find joy in one's labor.  If there is wisdom in Qoheleth's approach to life, with its many seasons, the question seems to be why it is so hard to live such a life?

If you missed Sunday's sermon, if you'd like to listen to it again, or if you'd like to share it with others, you can find an audio recording here.

You can also listen to the Communion meditation and the closing benediction.

Prayer for Mission in Lesotho

This week we pray for Mark Behle, our missionary to Lesotho.  He serves in the planning office of the Lesotho Evangelical Church of South Africa.

You can read more about the mission to Lesotho here, including the story of one man's call to ordained ministry.

There are Christian missionaries serving on our behalf in many countries around the world.  Each week, Global Missions highlights the work in one of these countries and asks the wider church to pray for its continued vitality in spreading the Gospel.

August 10 Worship: "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance"

For the second week in a row, we worshiped on a rainy Sunday morning -- certainly something unexpected in August.  But our time together with God was filled with joy and praise, brightening the day.

We continued our Summer Blockbuster Sermon Series, turning our attention to the classic John Ford western, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.  Considering the story of a lie that enabled a long political career, where one man stood aside for another to play the role he was born to play, we compared it to the situation faced by the apostles Peter and Paul when they met in Jerusalem.  Drawing on both the historical account found in Acts of the Apostles and the personal remembrance Paul told the Galatian churches, we talked about how the official history cleaned up what was a more contentious dispute about who would bring the Gospel to the Gentiles.  And about how the right man -- God's chosen representative -- took up the task and lived out his calling.

If you missed Sunday's sermon, if you'd like to listen to it again, or if you'd like to share it with others, you can find an audio recording here.

You can also listen to Sunday's communion meditation and closing benediction.

August 3 Worship: "Casablanca"

It has been a long time since we had such a wet Sunday morning, which perhaps persuaded some to just roll over in bed and go back to sleep.  But those who gathered at Eastgate for worship enjoyed several things, including celebrating the baptism of John Scott.  It is always an exciting privilege to be a part of such a special day in someone's life.

We also continued our Summer Blockbuster Sermon Series, focusing on the timeless romance, Casablanca.  We explored the parallels between this modern story and a familiar incident in Jesus' life, where he was confronted by opponents who asked whether faithful Jews should pay taxes to the emperor.  Carefully, Jesus mostly avoided that question, implicitly recognizing both the non-religious character of the Roman Empire and the impossibility for Jews to avoid the empire.  We considered how we are also confronted with the issue of how devoted we can be to God, living in our modern culture, which places demands on us that are far from perfect -- at least in God's eyes.

If you missed Sunday's sermon, if you'd like to listen to it again, or if you'd like to share it with others, you can find an audio recording here.

You can also listen to the closing benediction.

Prayer for Mission in Hong Kong

This week we pray for Bruce Van Voorhis, our missionary to Hong Kong.  He coordinates interfaith programs for the Asian and Pacific YMCA in Hong Kong.

You can read more about the mission to Hong Kong here, including how the church is trying to build interfaith understanding among young people in several Asian countries.

There are Christian missionaries serving on our behalf in many countries around the world.  Each week, Global Missions highlights the work in one of these countries and asks the wider church to pray for its continued vitality in spreading the Gospel.