West Main

I recently read an amazing story in the news about a brave young kid in Chicago named Luis Reteguin, who saved his mom from a dangerous attacker. One night, at 1:00 a.m., a man armed with a knife entered their home. Luis and his mother happened to be awake, while his younger sister and older brother were asleep. At the time, Luis thought it was his father since he usually arrived home at that hour. The intruder even opened the door to Luis’s room, something his father usually did at that hour, but did not come in. It wasn't until his mother began screaming that Luis realized something was wrong. Courageously, he ran to his mother’s room and saw a man attacking his mom with a knife. Luis immediately jumped on the man and began punching him. The man began to fight back. Breaking free, Luis ran to the kitchen and called the police. At this point, the attacker became scared and fled the house. This young man’s courage, strength, and quick-thinking saved his mom's life!

While terribly frightening, this inspirational story reminds me of just how much our kids are capable of! While it is often easy to shrug off their ideas, or their interruptions into an “adult conversation,” I have found that some of the deepest and most soul stirring theological questions I have been involved in often involve my kids! I am reminded that we need to remember that God uses EVERYTHING to teach us…..including our young people!

I believe God gave us children to help us know Him better. They are newer to this world and are not weighed down by the culture, greed, materialism, or other belief systems. In their innocence they are uncorrupted by the world. It is the purity of children that enables us to see the blessings and wonder of the world. Jesus understood this, chastising his friends for trying to dismiss children trying to see Him, as a nuisance or a bother. It is so true that “out of the mouths of babes come gems.”

We have amazing kids and ministries for them at West Main! If you are not yet doing so, get plugged in to learn from the kiddos here at West Main. Volunteer in youth group or Bible Busters. Teach a class or work in the nursery. Sign up to work VBS or Camp. I can promise you that you’ll be blessed, and not only will you teach….you will learn!

One area where we still have a HUGE need is Children’s Worship. As of yet, no one has stepped up to fill the roles needed to get it running again. It is a very important ministry to members and especially to visitors. Our kids are missing it badly. Please pray about stepping up and helping out.

We have amazing kiddos here…let’s all thank God for that!

– Pannell

FEELING  THE LORD'S  SUPPER  (PART ONE)

A point of great sadness within Christendom is the conflicts of interpretation surrounding the Lord’s Supper. Sadness, I say, because Jesus certainly means for us to be united and uplifted in remembrance of his sacrifice on the cross, his death, his resurrection, and his return. Yet we have schisms over whether the elements of bread and fruit of the vine are literally the body and blood of Jesus (Transubstantiation), or whether those elements are merely symbolic. People of faith divide over how frequent to celebrate the Lord’s Supper (once a week, once a month, once a year, etc.). As believers we argue over who can or cannot participate (only baptized believers, children of believing parents, or an open invitation to whosoever seeks). We even have debates over the elements themselves (leaven or unleavened bread, grape juice, or wine).   If all this were not enough, we even disagree over whether we should serve from one cup or multiple cups, one loaf or many.

How sad indeed that the one time, place, and practice where all of God’s children should come together, we have division. All this is not to say that these disagreements are insignificant or should not be hashed out in Christian dialogue and debate. I merely am pointing to the irony (tragedy?) that the practice of unity Jesus gives us is a place of disunity.

One particular tragedy of disunity surrounding the Lord’s Supper that I would like to briefly consider is the aspect of our affections. In other words, how should we feel when we come to the Lord’s Supper? Now, I have been a faithful attending member of the Church of Christ for twenty-eight years, and during that time I have heard every manner of Lord’s Supper meditation. My impression, if I may be permitted to overgeneralize, is that we basically promote one of two camps of feelings when coming to the Lord’s Supper.

One camp says, we should come to the Lord’s Supper with sober and solemn feelings of seriousness. The Lord’s Supper is a memorial service where we remember the grave sacrifice that cost the Father his only Son. We should sit in solemn silence as we contemplate our sins that put Jesus on the cross. The feeling here is one of guilt, shame, and sorrow. One frequent means used to bring us to this feeling is the (mis?)use of First Corinthians chapter eleven. You know the verse: “Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord” (1 Cor 11:27). In other words, we often (mis?)use this verse as a means of putting the fright of God into those who are about to partake. “Do this rightly,” we seem to be saying, “or God will strike you dead!”

Another camp of feelings puts emphasis on the theme of eschatological feast. In other words, the feeling is one of celebration as we feast with the Lord anticipating His return (“Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” Rev 19:9). We are to rejoice and sing that our sins are forgiven and Christ is coming again to take us into his bosom. The feeling here is one of joy. Folks in this camp want to sing during the “celebration” of the Lord’s Supper. The other feeling camp thinks singing joyfully during a memorial service is disrespectful. “How can I contemplate the Lord correctly,” they say, “if I cannot hear my inward thoughts over your shouts of joy?” The other camp says, “How can I celebrate Jesus’ return when you sit there in silent doom and gloom? You are forgiven! Rise, eat, and sing!”

To be continued . . . .   – Terry

Our Sunday Evening Ladies Class will begin a new study this Sunday, October 19. This is a NO HOMEWORK CLASS as we will be using the Beth Moore video series, “Anointed, Transformed, and Redeemed.” This class begins at 6:00 p.m. in the East Room and all ladies are invited to attend. If you need more info, please contact Toni Parker.