West Main

FRESH

So we’ve been talking a LOT about camp and we could not be more excited! It is coming up fast and it is going to be EPIC! With the new location and new week, everything seems so different and new. It all just feels, so……..FRESH!

What do you think of when you hear Fresh? Do you think of a prince? :) Do you think of fruits and veggies? Do you think of new, innocent and unblemished? Do you think about eating Subway? Do you smell clothes dried on a clothes line? Do you think of being RE-freshed? Do you think of fresh air, fresh squeezed or a fresh start?

All of these images conjure up the emotion of newness, of clean slates, of health and vigor, and they make us think of natural beauty and things that are special, exciting and not available all the day in our routines.

THIS is what we anticipate SOCC 2014 to begin like this year! Everywhere we turn, we are praying for God to reveal the “freshness” of His love and spirit to us! Much work and planning is going into the camp and many requests are being sent to the Father to bless it with His presence and guidance.

We are excited for a FRESH START, and we anticipate many FRESH fruits from God’s work! Won’t you join us in praying?

Get excited! It will be here before you know it. Registrations will be available within the next two weeks! And the Camp Fund Raiser Dinner is coming up on May 10^th! This is going to be special !!!!

-- Pannell

“WHO IS AN ARTIST?  ANYONE WHO HAS A SOUL."

Erwin McManus

This quote is from a fantastic new book called “The Artisan Soul.” It is a fresh perspective of how God has created us to be creative and how our lives reflect His beauty. It’s meant to inspire the reader to live life in a powerful way - where your story and your creativity matter because they are a reflection of what God is doing in your soul. We are creative beings made in the image of the great creator.

I am very proud to see West Main embracing these ideas recently. I am passionate about expression, creativity and art, because I believe they are an act of worship. It has been incredible to see our entire church take hold of this idea. It began with several projects in the youth group. We then hosted an incredible and inspiring Poetry Night with participants from the entire congregation. This past Sunday we held our first art show. It showcased works from our current Bible Busters students, and various entries from members of the congregation.

It was INCREDIBLE! Who knew that in our small family, God had placed so many gifts and talents? I was very proud. For Christians, art is taking part of the physical world around us and making it sacred with our expression of love and devotion to God. Art can be holy. Art can express our devotion to Christ, while breathing life into the world!

Thank you all for supporting these important efforts. I think it is lighting a very important fire in our church culture. So I encourage you to keep on creating! Please…add to the beauty.

– Pannell

SELFLESSNESS

Ego shouts out and is shamelessly displayed for all to see. Selflessness is quiet and may be mistaken as a sign of weakness, but is rather a hallmark quality found in mature Christians. It was exemplified in the life of Jesus while he lived among us.

One of the many reasons for my wanting to be a follower of Christ is the selflessness he instilled in his disciples. It is a test of genuineness. This was not their nature when they were first chosen, but it is readily evident in their maturity. The absence of personal ego in their letters is the evidence I will now write about.

First of all, the writers of the New Testament were an anonymous lot. They made little mention of themselves. Matthew does not tell us that he was the tax collector pictured in chapter nine of his account of the life of Christ. Mark does not even mention himself in his writing. Only by noting the first and second person pronouns in Acts, together with other commonalities with a gospel account, do we know that Luke was the writer of both of them. To know that John was the author of the fourth gospel, we must read between the lines of his record.

On the other hand, these writers named and spoke freely of the other principal characters who were their peers. They include accounts of Jesus’ special relationship with Peter, James, and John. Although they had once jostled for first place, after they had witnessed the resurrection of Christ, ego was put aside.

Those selected to be witnesses of the resurrection did not take their new authoritative place to claim superiority. When Peter speaks of his role as an elder in the church, he refers to others in that role as “fellow elders.” Likewise, Apostle Paul did not speak of those he mentored as pupils, but rather as “co-workers.” There were no self-proclaimed “senior” ministers or pastors among them!

When writing to the church in Rome, Paul notes that he had been “bold” in reminding them of needful teaching. But as a preface to those remarks he acknowledges that they too were “competent to instruct one another.” (See Romans 15:14-15.) Graciousness is evident here.

Throughout his writings, Paul often disallows the use of authority, and only used it as a last resort in persuasion. (See II Corinthians 10:1-2 and Philemon 8-11.)

Self promotion is a trap that has snared many otherwise admirable men. The lack of it in these early followers of Christ is one of their many credentials that convince me of the truth of their witness.

Selflessness can only be part of the life of a man or woman with great deliberateness. It comes naturally to only a very few – if any. New Testament writers make clear that they intended for us to learn from their examples. We are therefore thankful for their example of this trait we need to build into our lives.

-- James Gibbs

95^th Birthday Party  -- The family of Al Vice invites you to celebrate Al’s 95^th Birthday on Saturday, April 12, at the Clubhouse at Mountain View Estates from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at 333 Mt. View Drive, Talent, OR.