West Main

ROLLER COASTER

The Importance of Space:  A Taste of San Felipe, Mexico

A little over seventy people from West Main and other congregations in the valley just returned from the annual mission trip to San Felipe, Mexico. The week was full and busy building two houses for two precious families associated with the Church in San Felipe. One of the other things we typically do on this trip is each day we have a morning devotional and an evening lesson.

The last lesson of the week, The Importance of Space, was given by myself and I would like to give you a small taste of what I said to the mission group that evening (warning: we will probably hear this message in the near future as a full sermon). The idea of the importance of space may strike your ears a little strangely, so let me try and explain.

Consider for a moment why we find some places more special than others. Perhaps you have a favorite place you go camping and therefore might have a slew of precious memories based on the fun times and experiences at that camp site. Some of you who are married might hold as precious the place where your spouse asked for your hand in marriage. Others might find their home where family memories of good times as well as sad times took place over many years.  For many of us, the building of West Main represents a special place where the worship of God takes place, and relationships of love and friendship are cultivated over these many years.

The importance of space is not so much about the actual space, but about the experiences that take place there, and the ideas and memories created within that space. Think for a moment on how we as a society especially create war memorials like Normandy, the Vietnam Wall, and Gettysburg. These previous places represent spaces where great sacrifices and events took place. In other words, these places where war and lives were taken transform these spaces into something more than just ordinary space.

A biblical example of space taking on an importance beyond the ordinary is witnessed in Jacob’s fleeing his brother Esau after stealing his brother’s blessing. The book of Genesis records how on the first evening on the run, Jacob laid down for the evening with a rock for a pillow (Gen 28:10-17).  During the night Jacob has a dream in which he sees angels ascending and descending on a staircase reaching from heaven to earth. When Jacob awakes from his dream, he declares, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it . . . . How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven” (Gen 28:16-17).  Before Jacob went to sleep, he was just passing through some ordinary space and getting ready to fall asleep using an ordinary rock for a pillow. When Jacob awoke, his ordinary space due to the presence of God became a holy place.

The importance of space being transformed by the presence of God seen in the account of Jacob serves as a template for what is often experienced at Camp Sinai in San Felipe. When you come to the camp in San Felipe, you will notice that it is located next door to a junk yard, up the road from the city dump, across from an alcohol and drug rehab center, and next door to a desert. Now let us be honest; if I sent you a brochure describing a camp whose space is boxed in by a junk yard, a dump, a drug rehab, and a desert, how many of us would care to visit such a place? Yet for the over seventy people who made the long trip down to San Felipe, and for the two families who now have a home to live in, Camp Sinai is a special and beautiful place. The space of Camp Sinai itself is not so special, but the work, service, relationships, and most important of all, the presence of God, make this space in San Felipe important beyond its mere appearance. The lesson here is simple: wherever God is present, is the most important space and place to be.

– Terry

Daddy-Daughter Dinner Dance April 30

Girls,  invite your dad, uncle, grandfather or favorite male loved one to a fun evening of dinner and dancing.   Please arrive promptly at 5:00 p.m. in your beautiful dress to get your photo taken with your special guy.  You will receive a special wearable keepsake of the event.  Dinner will be served and after dessert you and your guy will share some laughs and dancing.  Tickets are $7.00 per person and are non-refundable. This special event is for young ladies ages 5 years through high school.  Tickets will only be sold through April 10^th. No tickets will be sold at the door.  Please make checks payable to West Main Church of Christ. For more information, please contact Marcie Dixon.

****Items we need to borrow for the event:

Up to twenty portable card tables and  white mini-single strand Christmas lights (about fifteen strands). If you have any of these items, please let Marcie Dixon know ASAP.

Daughters of the King will be this Saturday, April 2, at 10:00 a.m. at the building.  Our topic will be “How to Encourage Your Adult Children.” Lunch will be served and we will dismiss by 2:00 p.m.

Our Next Deacons and Ministry Leaders Meeting will be held Monday, April 4, at 7:00 p.m. in the Fireside Room.  All leaders are encouraged to attend.  Please let Dan Beeks know if you have any agenda items.

New Wednesday Evening Classes:  On Wednesday, April 6, we will begin a new series of lessons on the missionary journeys of Paul.  These lessons will be taught by Dan Beeks.  Class begins at 7:00 p.m.  We will also have classes for children.  We will be teaching them from the "Character First" lessons.

VBS Meeting: We will be having a VBS Meeting for all people interested in helping with VBS on Sunday afternoon, April 10, at 4:00 p.m. in the Fireside Room.  VBS is scheduled for June 21-25 from 9:00-11:30 a.m. for children who have finished kindergarten through sixth grade.

Prayer Requests . . .

Please continue to pray for a complete healing for Mel Hamilton and Connie Kennedy ... For Betty Miller (former member and mother-in-law of Leslie Miller and grandmother of Jennifer Bucey) who has had a preliminary diagnosis of pancreatic cancer ... For Dan and Sharen Hargis who are not doing well at this time and would appreciate your phone calls ... For Nina Sanderbrink who will be having surgery soon for a hernia ... For Patty, friend of David Mayes, that she will get better soon ... For Jenny Way’s friend, Rhodney, to get better soon ... For Cooper Albright to have good blood test results ... For Phyllis Caldwell, friend of Ariel Liles, who had a stroke ... For the niece of Nanette Murphy, who just lost her twin babies ... For Royce Winner, brother of Glenda Rennels, who is in RVMC with pneumonia ... For Rachel, who is still trying to recover ... For Omar Dimas, an eight year old boy from the San Felipe church who was injured when an out-of-control car ran into bystanders ... For our President and all of our military men, women and families.

Truman Scott suffered a stroke while traveling on the plane to Los Angeles, California last week. He is to be released from the hospital today (3-30-11) and will join Ferne at their son, Steve’s home.  They hope to return home by Saturday of this week.