Wednesday Night Teaser

You should be getting your Towerlight (newsletter) in the mail any day now. Be sure to read Pastor Jim's message on the front page for some information about the all new Wednesday night programming at Christ Church which begins on Sept. 13th! It's going to be exciting!

New Themes

The new August/September worship themes have been announced and you can get previews of them on the church's website BY CLICKING HERE.

Quotes and Poems from Sunday's "Tearing Down the Walls" theme

Before I built a wall, I'd ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offense.
Something there is that doesn't love a wall.
[Robert Frost]

"In fundamentals unity,
in non-fundamentals liberty,
in all things charity."
[Meldenius]

"He drew a circle to keep me out,
A thing of scorn, a thing to flout
But love I had the wilt to win
We drew a circle that took him in."
[Edwin Markham]

A Slight Change in Plans

You may have noticed that the Worship Theme on the church's homepage has been changed from "One in Christ" to "Tearing Down the Walls." We've decided to go a different direction! The scripture this week is Ephesians 2: 11-22 and it reads like this (The Message version):

But don't take any of this for granted. It was only yesterday that you outsiders to God's ways had no idea of any of this, didn't know the first thing about the way God works, hadn't the faintest idea of Christ. You knew nothing of that rich history of God's covenants and promises in Israel, hadn't a clue about what God was doing in the world at large. Now because of Christ—dying that death, shedding that blood—you who were once out of it altogether are in on everything.

The Messiah has made things up between us so that we're now together on this, both non-Jewish outsiders and Jewish insiders. He tore down the wall we used to keep each other at a distance. He repealed the law code that had become so clogged with fine print and footnotes that it hindered more than it helped. Then he started over. Instead of continuing with two groups of people separated by centuries of animosity and suspicion, he created a new kind of human being, a fresh start for everybody.

Christ brought us together through his death on the cross. The Cross got us to embrace, and that was the end of the hostility. Christ came and preached peace to you outsiders and peace to us insiders. He treated us as equals, and so made us equals. Through him we both share the same Spirit and have equal access to the Father.

That's plain enough, isn't it? You're no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You're no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He's using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he's using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.

Who Am I?

We hope Sunday's message and service on the theme of IDENTITY was meaningful for you. What were some of the things that stood out to you? What have you been reflecting on in light of the question, "Who Am I?"

Lyrics

Some interesting lyrics to consider in light of this Sunday's theme: IDENTITY.

["Who Am I?" by Casting Crowns]

Who am I?
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt.
Who am I?
That the bright and morning star,
Would choose to light the way,
For my ever wandering heart.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.

I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.

Who am I?
That the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again.
Who am I?
That the voice that calmed the sea,
Would call out through the rain,
And calm the storm in me.

I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.

I am yours.
I am yours.

Whom shall I fear?
Whom shall I fear?
'Cause I am yours.
I am yours.

Prayers for the Mission Team

The Youth Mission Team will be sent off during 2nd service on Sunday. Please be sending your love and prayers to the youth and adults who will be going on this trip next week!!

A scripture to ponder

This is going to be the scripture we will be focusing on in Sunday's service. Look over a few times. What stands out?

How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.

Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.

It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.

It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life.

[Ephesians 1: 3-14]

Book Suggestion

In Sunday's worship services, we shared excerpts from the book Transforming Suffering, edited by Donald Mitchell. It's a deep book, for sure, but is definately worth checking out if you're interested in transforming your own suffering and trying to help others along in theirs.

Click here to check out the book on Amazon.com.

Reception!

Don't forget that you can come meet the new additions to the church staff on Sunday, July 9th from 2-4 pm. There will be a reception for our new Sr. Pastor Jim Farrer and our new Youth Minister, Jeff Greathouse (and their families). This will be a great time for them to be able to meet their new Church Family and for us to get to know them a little better. Light refreshments will be served.

Sunday's Scripture

Here is the somewhat odd scripture for Sunday's theme, Strength in Weakness. Check it out...

I was caught up into the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether my body was there or just my spirit, I don't know; only God knows. But I do know that I was caught up into paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be told. That experience is something worth boasting about, but I am not going to do it. I am going to boast only about my weaknesses. I have plenty to boast about and would be no fool in doing it, because I would be telling the truth. But I won't do it. I don't want anyone to think more highly of me than what they can actually see in my life and my message, even though I have received wonderful revelations from God. But to keep me from getting puffed up, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from getting proud.

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, "My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me. Since I know it is all for Christ's good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

[2 Cor. 12: 2-10]

Dance Like Nobody's Watching

Did Sunday's message encourage you to let go, open up, and start dancing?

Just as a follow-up, here is the scripture one more time: "You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy."

You can read the entire Psalm by clicking here.

And finally, the sermon audio is now online. If you'd like to listen to Jim's sermon from Sunday, click here.