Coming Up Sunday, September 9

This Sunday, we will have special celebrations of the role of children in our faith community.  September 9 marks the beginning of a 40-day prayer vigil, Light a Candle for Children, that encourages Christians to pray for the needs of children among us and around the world.  We will mark the day with a special ceremony during the service.  Also, we will celebrate our Children Worship & Wonder program, which teaches children ages 4-10 about faith through a special worship experience.  After the service there will be an open house where we will re-dedicate the children's worship space for the coming year and offer highlights of the program.

Also, my sermon series, "If We Are the Body...", will continue our exploration of Paul's image of the church as the body of Christ.  Continuing on through Paul's description in 1 Corinthians 12, we will think about how any unity is possible among so many different people.  The sermon is titled, "E Pluribus Unum," the motto famously appearing on US currency, and will reflect on the roots of that motto.

Rev. Josef Walker to be Honored for Interfaith Work

This morning I came across this story from The Kansas City Star about one of my ministerial colleagues, who is close to the heart of several in the Eastgate community.  Rev. Josef Walker, who currently is serving as interim minister at Westwood Christian Church, was previously the pastor of Ridgeview.  On Saturday, he will be honored by the Crescent Peace Society, a local Muslim organization, for his ecumenical and interfaith work.

You can read the article here, but you can also read Joe's full responses to four important questions about interfaith work here.

This is important work for our community and our church.  We live in a culture with many religions and we can either choose to withdraw and keep to "our own" or we can interact with our neighbors.  It is harder to go outside of our comfort zones, but in the end, the relationships that are built across the many things that can divide us -- including religious differences -- strengthen our neighborhoods, our schools, our workplaces, and our churches. 

And, lest someone start insisting that Christians have an obligation to stand up for the one true faith, I would simply point out that Jesus not only said, "I am the way, the truth, and the light...", he also taught and served in an interfaith environment -- sometimes in ways that scandalized "proper" Jews. 

September 2 Worship: "In One Spirit, Baptized"

While I cannot put my finger on it exactly, I left worship very energized on Sunday.  Perhaps I was pleased with the sermon, or excited to sing during communion, but I also think that I was moved by the spirit of the congregation on Sunday.  As we approach Fall, I am excited for our shared ministry at Eastgate, and I do not believe I am alone in that excitement.

In many ways, Sunday's sermon was a reflection of my hope and excitement.  It was the first of a 7-part series called "If We Are the Body..." looking at the image of the church as the body of Christ.  Sunday's sermon started where the Apostle Paul begins his presentation of the image in 1 Corinthians -- baptism.  Paul highlights the role of the Holy Spirit in baptism, and I used this to look at the role of the Holy Spirit in the church as demonstrated through our baptisms into Christ's church.  In an age where some are worried about being a "card-carrying member" of a large organization -- and the church is among the largest of organizations -- this imagery can offer direction and hope.

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

Prayer for Mission in Laos

This week we pray for Xuyen Dangers, our missionary in Laos.  She is a social worker in the southeast Asian country, supervising six centers and also serving as a Social Work advisor for the National University of Laos.

You can read more about the mission to Laos here, including the story of how an off-handed comment by a third grader led to an outreach project for an entire village.

There are Christian missionaries serving on our behalf around the world in 70 countries.  Each week, Global Missions highlights one of these missions and asks the church to pray for its continued vitality in spreading the Gospel.

Coming Up Sunday, September 2

This Labor Day weekend, I will begin the first sermon series of the fall, "If We Are the Body..." which explores the great description of Paul for the church -- the body of Christ.  I hope to explore this image in several ways over the next few weeks, first by focusing on Paul's fullest description of it from 1 Corinthians 12 and then moving to other important New Testament passages.

This Sunday, we'll focus on the beginning of the passage, which speaks of one Spirit and one baptism.  Where does our unity as Christians come from?  What does it mean to become part of "the body of Christ"?

While some people may use the long holiday weekend to travel, I hope that many of us will gather for worship at Eastgate.

August 26 Worship: "What I Did on My Summer Vacation"

We had an emotional worship service on Sunday -- one that affected me powerfully and made me find some quiet space to reflect that afternoon.  It is always moving to have someone share their struggles and their hope in the face of challenge.  It also is moving to have another choose to join our congregation as we travel along this pilgrim's way.  And we had both on Sunday.

As might be obvious from my sermon title, I had limited expectations for worship, feeling like it is part of our "winding down" of summer before we "wind up" and begin activities in the fall.  Then again, maybe it was a living out of my reflections on Sabbath -- that given time to reflect and be, God still teaches us, usually giving unexpected lessons.  My extended testimony given on Sunday, which was what the sermon was, were inspired by the description of the Sabbath year for the land proscribed by God for the Hebrews.

If you missed the sermon on Sunday, 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.

Prayer for Mission in Hong Kong

This week we pray for Judy Chan and Bruce Van Voorhis, our missionaries in Hong Kong.  Judy works with communications for the Hong Kong Christian Council, while Bruce is the Coordinator of Interfaith Programs for the regional YMCA.

You can read more about the mission to Hong Kong here, including some details about the general work of the Hong Kong Christian Council.

There are Christian missionaries serving around the world on our behalf in 70 countries.  Each week, Global Missions highlights one of these missions and asks the church to pray for its continued vitality in spreading the Gospel.