May 4, 2011
A Beautiful Camp
I had plans to wow you all with statistics in this week’s article. I was going to overwhelm you with the numbers - the number of kids who’ve passed through Camp’s boundaries the last eight years, maybe even the number of lives given to Jesus in that same time period. I was going to try and “prove” the importance of Southern Oregon Christian Camp.
Then, my friend Terry preached this past Sunday’s lesson. It was a beautiful exhortation of a truth that we often forget. That truth is: God has made everything beautiful in its time (Ecc. 3:11). In a fast paced, instant gratification society, we often forget this. We want IMMEDIATE results. We want INSTANT numbers. But this was a reminder that God’s plan is always moving forward. His kingdom is never in retreat! Whether we see it now, later or never…all that we do in His name WILL be beautiful!
So that is how I want to ask you to consider Camp this year. That week is special. It is holy. It is powerful and it is life changing. Perhaps above all of these, it is BEAUTIFUL. Regardless of whether there are droves of numbers or none that we could spout off when we return in July, we can be assured that a beautiful work took place. We can be assured that God was working out something extremely special. My friends...that is really all we need to know.
Southern Oregon Christian Camp is coming soon. There is an energy building. There is a buzz around it this year. We all have this “sense” that God is working on something HUGE for us. I can barely contain my excitement that SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL is going down in two months!
But, we need your help. Rising Camp rental fees and insurance costs pose a challenge for camp this year. We cannot raise the price anymore than we have and expect families to be able to attend. We do not want ANYONE to miss out! So, this year, perhaps more than ever, the CAMP FUND RAISER DINNER & AUCTION are crucial!!! We need to really raise some money!
Would you mark your calendars for Saturday May 21? We need you there! We need your support, we need your prayers, and yes…we need your cash J. As always we will have a fun night, good food and all kinds of stuff to auction off! In coming weeks the bulletin will publish more information. Until then, please join us in prayer as we prepare for this big event!
– Pannell
Whose Side is God On?
When Joshua, the commander of Israel’s army, crossed the Jordan River into Canaan Land, he encounters “a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, ‘Are you for us or for our enemies?’” Now apparently this “man” must have presented an awesome and fearful presence for the fearless Joshua to inquire as to which side this man was on. The response Joshua received is enlightening: “Neither,” he replied, “but as the commander of the army of the LORD I have come” (Joshua 5:13-14a). Joshua “fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, ‘What message does my LORD have for his servant?’” (5:14b).
Joshua quickly learns in his encounter with the commander of the army of the LORD that in this world we tend to think of our conflicts as “us versus them,” but the LORD thinks in terms of “Himself versus us and them.” God is on His own side, and we will all be better off in this world with God seeking His own interests above all others, for God is love, and His love is what is most healing, most just, most beneficial for the universe. The universe, everything seen and unseen, is designed to bring glory to God (Psalm 19; Col 1:15-20). We are as the human race designed to declare the praises of God as the Apostle John “heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever’” (Rev 5:13).
When Joshua inquires as to what is the message from the One most worthy of praise, he is first told, “Take off your sandals, for the place you are standing is holy” (Joshua 5:15). Joshua further learns in this awesome encounter that we do not just speak to the LORD like we are on the phone, sending a text message, or posting a comment on Facebook. God is holy, and we are unholy, so we must never presume we can stand before the LORD as equals.
Along with Joshua, we too could learn a few things from this encounter with the commander of the army of the LORD. One, as already noted, God is on His own side and seeks first and foremost His own interests. Christians occupying every nation on this planet must never assume that because they are living within the geographical and political borders of one nation or another, God must be on their side. Remember, God does not pick sides, He sides with Himself against all others. We must never assume that an enemy of the State we occupy at the moment is the enemy of God.
Second, in light of God being the only side to a conflict or issue, we must be diligent to remain humble and contrite as we echo the words of Joshua, “What message does my LORD have for his servant?” Servants are not commanders. In other words, we must be ever watchful that we do not take on the air of superiority or self-righteousness. We must not assume any one nation on this planet speaks for God’s army and judgment. We also do well to remember the words of Ecclesiastes that when it comes to God, we “cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (Eccles 3:11).
Third, because God is wholly different from us, we must acknowledge His holiness and confess His thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways (Isa 55:8). Like Joshua removing his sandals before God, we must remove all human pretensions and presumptions that we know the will of the LORD. Again, we are servants, not commanders.
So in conclusion, whose side is God on? God is on His own side. Whose side are you on?
– Terry
Memorial Service for Dan Slovak – This Saturday, May 7, 11:00 a.m. — There will be a sandwich/fingerfood/potluck fellowship following the service. Please bring lots of your favorite foods to share. ***Memorial contributions may be made to our youth camp fund in lieu of flowers.
Elders, Deacons, and Ministry Leaders -- Please join us this Saturday, May 7, for a Saturday Morning Breakfast in the Fireside Room at 7:00 a.m. For more information contact Dan Beeks.
No Youth Cell Groups this Sunday night due to Mother's Day. Please stay home and pamper your moms. :)
Next Sunday, May 15 we will be taking a special collection for the storm victims in the South. Please be praying and considering how you can help.
Please Join Us to Celebrate the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Larry and Wydie Denn on Saturday, May 28, at West Main Church of Christ from 1:00-4:00 p.m. Please RSVP. Your presence on this special occasion is the only gift the couple desires.
2011 Directories are ready to pick up! They are located at the Visitor Center. Please take only one copy per family. The directories that are in the binders are for new families or for those who do not have a binder.
Prayer Requests . . .
Please continue to pray for a complete healing for Mel Hamilton, Connie Kennedy and Truman Scott ... Cooper Albright will have more tests in New York City in May - please pray for his healing ... The Walker family requests prayers for Hannah and others in Uganda as they prepare for Faith Quest and for the hearts of all those who may be attending this week ... The Liles Family wants to thank you for all your prayers for Danielle’s safe trip back to Korea ... April Olson requests prayers for her family as they fly from Colorado ... For Ernest Strawn who is home from the hospital - please call first if you go to visit him ... For Gerry McCord as she continues with her chemo treatments ... For Ron VanDeHey’s foot to heal ... For our President and all of our military men, women and families.
Graduation Announcement -- Stephen and Diane Liles are pleased to announce the high school graduation of their son, Gabriel David, on Saturday May 7, at 2:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church, 649 Crater Lake Ave., Medford. A reception will follow at the Liles home at 5:30 p.m. Please RSVP to Diane ASAP if you plan on attending the reception.
Camp Fundraiser
Save the date of May 21 for our Camp Fund Raising Dinner in the Fireside Room. More details to come.
***Camp Registration Forms are now available in the lobby and at the Visitor Center. Pick up your copy now. Early Bird Discount price is $155.00. Early Bird Deadline is June 13. Camp is July 10-16.
Ladies Class News
Our last Ladies Class will be held on May 17. On May 24 we will have a potluck luncheon at 11:00 a.m. We will then dismiss Ladies Class for the summer. We will have our annual barbeque at the home of Bill and Barbara Viera on June 28, at 11:00 a.m. until ??? Please note the change of date for the barbeque.
60th Wedding Anniversary -- Tom and Peggy Blair are celebrating their 60th Wedding Anniversary on May 5th. If you would like to send them a card as they celebrate their special day, please call the office for their address.
Calendar of Events
May 7 Elder/Deacon Breakfast; 7:00 a.m.
Memorial Service for Dan Slovak; 11:00 a.m. at the Building
May 21 Camp Fundraiser Dinner; FSR
June 21-24 VBS
June 28 Ladies Class Barbeque
August 5-6 Ladies Prayer Retreat
