March 16, 2011
WHOSE WORDS ?
In the film, “The King’s Speech,” King George VI says some powerful words. He says, “If I'm King, where's my power? Can I form a government? Can I levy a tax, declare a war? No! And yet I am the seat of all authority. Why? Because the nation believes that when I speak, I speak for them…” These words spoke a powerful truth to me: many times in life, others are held accountable for what those who REPRESENT them say. It doesn’t matter that the words may have never been spoken by them!
Do we ever realize this same thing is true in how the world sees God? Many times, they attribute the things that we followers of Christ say to God, because we “represent him.” Even if these words would NEVER be uttered from the mouth of our Lord, sometimes the world does not know this. They listen to the mouths of Christians and attribute every word to God! How does this make you feel? It scares me to death!
We have a LOT of responsibility that lies in our tongues! If we truly believed that every word we spoke may be the only exposure to God that someone may have, how different would our words sound? What things would you no longer say? What things that you don’t regularly say now would you need to begin saying? There’s MUCH to consider, huh?
How do those around you see God through the words that you exclaim? Do your friends at school or work see Him differently than your friends at church? James (James 3:5-10) knew how precious words can be. Tempered with love and discernment, words can build us up, and lead the world towards God. However, words without love and caution can start an inferno that will spread like a wildfire. An untamed tongue is just like that wildfire – full of careless words, angry words, and thoughtless words – and it tears down anything that stands in its path. And it can GREATLY misrepresent God!
We need to think about what effect our words may have on those around us. What are we showing them about the God we serve?
May we all begin to let Jesus tame our tongues. May we act like the psalmist who said, “I will watch my ways, and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth as long as the wicked are in my presence. (Psalm 39:1)” Words matter. May we choose them wisely.
– Pannell
The Story and Your Story
In our Sunday morning Bible class we have been studying the story of the Bible. In other words, we have been studying what the Bible says to us as a unified whole, a coherent and consistent narrative from Genesis to Revelation. The rubric that ties all the parts and pieces of the biblical narrative together is what we are calling the promise-plan of God. This study is indebted to the scholar, Walter Kaiser Jr., and is available in book form under the title, The Promise-Plan of God. I highly recommend Kaiser’s book. This bulletin article is far too short of a space to describe all that the promise-plan involves, and so our attention will focus on just one tiny facet. If you want to know how the whole Bible hangs together, then you need to come to Bible class. We are there every Sunday!
What may easily be overlooked in such a study as the promise-plan of God is how most of the scholarly world studying the Scriptures does not believe that such a unifying center to the Bible even exists or could be proposed. Why? One answer is hinted at even in what I wrote two sentences back where in one sentence I used the words Bible (singular word) and Scriptures (plural word). Is the Bible a single book or a series or compilation of books? We often ask the question, “How many books (plural) are in the Bible (singular)? When we hear the word “book” we tend to think of a single author writing a message with a clear beginning, middle, and end. The Bible of course is not written by a single author, but is written by multiple authors, in different time periods, across different continents, cultures and languages.
Additionally, even a cursory look at the religious world that derives its identity, meaning, and direction from the Scriptures reveals a plurality of viewpoints concerning what even constitutes the Bible. For instance, some communities would only except the first five books of the Bible, others just what we refer to as the Old Testament, some add what are called the Apocrypha, and then of course various communities claiming the Bible organize the books in varying orders.
Given the above brief depiction of the complexity of what constitutes the Bible, how can we claim what the Bible says as a whole? Others will certainly object and say, “What or which Bible are you talking about?” What ultimately is at stake in these questions about the Bible? In short, what is at stake is not only the story of the Bible, but our story. As Christians, we claim to be the recipients of the promise-plan of God that has been, is being, and will be worked in the lives of God’s covenant people. If there is no story in the Bible uniting its component parts, then there is no story for us. In other words, we would have in the Bible only a kaleidoscope or cacophony of disparate voices and books with no rhyme or reason. Without a biblical center, we are abandoned to the peripheries of confusion and randomness. What would we preach and why? What would we share with each other and the world? How would we know how God relates to the world or His people?
The power and presence of God has united what seems on the surface to be an impossible task. There is a story, a true, an absolute, reliable, and authentic account of the promise-plan of God being worked out from the beginning of time to the end of time. Yes, there is a beginning, middle, and end. The story of the Bible is your story. If you would like to know your story, then I invite you to our Sunday morning Bible class to hear the greatest story ever told!
– Terry
BEAUTIFUL
A grandmother and a little girl whose face was sprinkled with bright red freckles spent the day at the zoo. The children were waiting in line to get their cheeks painted by a local artist who was decorating them with tiger paws. “You’ve got so many freckles, there’s no place to paint,” a boy in line cried.
Embarrassed, the little girl dropped her head. Her grandmother knelt down next to her. “I love your freckles,” she said. “Not me,” the girl replied. “Well, when I was a little girl I always wanted freckles,” she said tracing her finger across the child’s cheek. “Freckles are beautiful!”
The little girl looked up, “Really?” “Of course,” said the grandmother. “Why, just name me one thing that’s prettier than freckles.”
The little girl peered into the old woman’s smiling face, “Wrinkles,” she answered softly.
What a beautiful story of love! How wonderful it is when those who are filled with the wisdom that comes with age can still see the beauty in those who are younger and have much to learn. And how wonderful when those just learning to spread their wings can see the beauty in those who have flown so long they are weary from flying.
“The glory of the young men is their strength, and the splendor of old men is their gray head.” (Proverbs 20:29) With a heart of love, may we see the beauty of God’s children both young and old.
(From the Bulletin Digest via Garden Valley Church of Christ, April 25, 2010)
Changes in Class Schedules
Due to our Mexico Mission Trip, please note the following changes in our schedules.
*The Adult Bible Classes will meet together in the auditorium on
Sunday, March 20th and 27th.
**No Children’s Worship Service March 20th and 27th.
***No Youth Cell Groups March 20th and 27th.
Also, NO youth class on March 23rd.
Baptisms: Please welcome to our West Main Fellowship Crystal Fitzsimmons and Andre Asher who were baptized on March 10th. Please get to know these young people if you haven’t already met them.
Who Wants to be Like Jesus seminar will continue on March 23rd and March 30th at 7:00 p.m. Children’s classes will be available.
It’s Not Too Early to start thinking about camp. Please save the dates July 10-16 to join us at camp at Box R Ranch. Please tell your friends about camp and invite them to come with you. It promises to be a great camp this year!
Prayer Requests . . .
Mel Hamilton is home from the hospital. Please pray for a complete healing ... Connie Kennedy needs our continued prayers ... Mary Ragsdill and Evelyn Bates are still not feeling well ... Don Logsdon is in Three Rivers Hospital in Grants Pass with congestive heart failure and is not doing well. No visits or calls at this time please ... The Liles family requests prayers for safe travel for Nick, Danielle and Kaelynn as they fly home for a visit from South Korea ... Laura Brotton requests prayers for her father for the new medication to slow the growth of his tumors and give him more time with them ... Dorothy Trimmer’s brother, Wilford Ervin, died last Friday morning - his service is planned for Saturday, April 2, at 2:00 p.m. at Perl-Siskiyou on Siskiyou Blvd. ... For our families traveling on the Mexico Mission Trip ... For our President and all of our military men, women and families
Thank You Note:
We want to thank everyone for the cards, flowers, refreshments, and for all who participated in the memorial service for my mother, Rose Sweet. Our love, and thanks again for everything, Don and Alice Sweet and family.
Coffee Servers Needed for the months of April and June. Please sign up on the sheet posted on the bulletin board by the stairs. Thanks.
Youth Calendar:
Any parents who missed the informational Parent/Teen Meeting last week, please contact Brian Pannell for your copy of our summer calendar.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
March 19-26: Spring Break - Mexico Mission Trip
March 23, 30: 7:00 p.m. - “Who Wants to be Like Jesus?” Seminar Sessions
April 2: Daughters of the King
