January 8 Worship: "Quo Vadimus: The Decaying Church"

In Sunday worship, we began a five-week consideration on "Quo Vadimus" (Where are we going?).  We enjoyed special music from the children and the Bell Choir, and we officially installed our 2012 officers.  It was a pretty full morning.

If you missed the sermon, or if you'd like to hear it again or share it with someone else, you can find it here.

Week of Compassion update

Week of Compassion, the disaster relief ministry of the Disciples of Christ, posts frequent updates on their efforts.  With this first update of 2012, they explain some of the ongoing ministries in which they are heavily invested, investing in empowering women around the world and promoting sustainable food production to counter hunger, in addition to improving their ability to respond in the wake of disasters.

You can read the most recent update from Week of Compassion here.

Prayer for Missionaries in Poland

This week we offer prayers for Elizabeth and Douglas Searles, who serve as mission workers in Poland.  They and their mission partners work to offer hope and reconciliation to a people who have suffered exclusion and broken relationships in recent history.

You can read more about their mission of relationship here.

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.

Learning the Motions

I came across this essay from a Methodist pastor and author, Jason Byassee, who for several years was an associate editor for The Christian Century.  In "The Right Gesture," he looks back on a mistake he made in not publicly thanking a specific individual for their role in organizing and leading the cook team in preparing a communal Thanksgiving meal.  In some ways, this is understandable -- he didn't know that the minister was expected to offer this specific thanks before the meal, so he was actually in another meeting and planned to come to the meal late.

Ministers, like other public leaders, are frequently called upon to publicly thank volunteers, church officers, or others.  So, in some ways, this is a reflection that speaks strongly to pastors.  But I think that the basic point, about how we should learn to better approach each other with gestures of humility, love, and thanksgiving is applicable to all disciples of Jesus Christ.

Coming Up Sunday, January 8

On Sunday, we will begin a monthlong sermon series in worship.  "Quo Vadimus: Where Are We Going?" raises the question of the potential of church in the modern age.  To begin with, we will spend a couple of weeks considering where the church is now and how it got this way.  This Sunday, we will look at the last 50 years of American Christianity, what is usually considered "The Decaying Church" -- an attitude that I think is much too pessimistic.

Also on Sunday, we will official install our new 2012 officers.  Please come to show your support for these individuals as they serve on our behalf in the coming year.

January 1 Worship: "A Reckoning"

Many of us gathered in the bright sunshine Sunday morning to worship on the first morning of the new year.  As might be expected, New Year's resolutions were mentioned a few times, during the time with children, during the offering meditation, and during the sermon.

If you missed Sunday's sermon on Jesus' parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), or if you want to hear it again or share it with others, you may find it here.

A Prayer for the New Year, from Sharon Watkins

Last week, the Rev. Dr. Sharon Watkins, the president and general minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), offered a prayer for this new year.  If you did not see it, you can read it here.