What a joy once again to participate as a teacher at Burmese Bible School in Syracuse. I was the professor for the class, Church Leadership and Management.
For the last three weekends, the class met from roughly from 5 PM to 9 PM on Friday evening and again on Saturday from 9 AM to 4 PM with an hour for lunch. It’s a lot of concentrated class time, even with breaks for Burmese tea (I tried three kinds, one of which I liked quite well). I also taught the class two years ago, but it was a four Saturday format at that time, so I needed to reorganize my material. I also supplemented it where needed and from books I have read in the interim. Everything is translated so that the school can serve the immigrant community whose English is not yet good enough to handle classes in English alone. Pastor Than from Lyncourt translated most of the time, with Dr. Khai, head of the school, translating one Saturday. I notice in the three years I have been involved that the English level of the students is constantly improving. It keeps me extremely busy. I will only attempt it in January when the church schedule is not quite as heavy as in some months.
Category: Joy Notes
Posts that intend to inspire
I read a great quote this evening that is worth posting. It helps provide prospective for the New Year too. I’m enjoying the book very much.
“The happiest people are those who have invested their time in others. The unhappiest people are those who wonder how the world is going to make them happy.” (John C. Maxwell in Be a People Person, 2007, p. 20)
Sometimes its good to distract oneself with a game or a puzzle. It gives the mind a rest from the normal concerns, forces it to use rusty corners and actually sparks creativity. It’s also a healthy habit to try something new once in a while too. E. Stanley Jones had a motto to break up one old habit each day just for the sake of keeping flexible. Tonight I did both. I found a jigsaw site online and tried a puzzle cut in tretris shapes. I was a little slow getting started but soon was getting the hang of it and had it all together.
Setting a goal encouraged us to invite others
Some of you have asked me already, “Did we make 500?” I almost don’t want to answer the question because I am so excited about all the great events that happened over our Christmas weekend. Numerous family groups were here in force and I saw many new faces as well. The Christmas Eve music was super inspiring and our children and teens put the weekend over the top with their Christmas musical. But, the answer is, no, we didn’t reach 500 total attendance for our three Christmas weekend services. In fact, we did not get very close to the number goal. But having talked to families and friends as they gathered both on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, I am convinced that we had between 60 and 100 more people than we would’ve had if we had not set a big goal and stretched. The actual total of 370 included many family and friends that had been invited because we had set a goal. John Abbott expressed what I heard from many. He came with a friend that I did not recognize. Knowing he was from a large family of brothers, I asked, “Is this one of your brothers?” He replied, “It’s one of the men who works with me; you said bring a friend, so I did.” That spirit seemed to pervade the congregation both on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning as there were many family members and guests who had been invited to celebrate Christ’s birth with us. Other pastors who had services on Christmas day found their attendance on the low side. But because of our children’s musical and our efforts to invite friends, our Christmas morning attendance (145) was significantly higher than our average attendance. It was also a good thing that we had two Christmas Eve services because fitting everyone who came into one would have been extremely cozy (6 PM 160; 8:30 PM 65).
A wonderful Spirit of worship and a great play
The most touching report that I heard concerning the Christmas services was Kim Ouderkirk’s report of the children’s prayer time as they prepared to perform their Christmas morning play. One prayed something like this, “Dear Jesus, we have received so many gifts; now please help us give our gift to you.” That is priceless. Another prayed that someone would open their heart to Jesus because of the play. The children’s’ prayers were so moving that some adults left the room to staunch their own tears. Then they went out and delivered a nearly flawless performance, remembering all their lines and showing that they definitely know how to act a part. The message of the play that God’s gift to us of his Son Jesus along with the salvation that he brings to us is the greatest gift of all was crystal clear. Afterward the congregation gave them a standing ovation. Our thanks go to Kim Ouderkirk for her leadership, to all who helped her, to the teens and children for their hard work, and to the parents who cooperated by adjusting home schedules on Christmas so that we could tell Jesus’ story and honor him in this important way on his birthday. And they accomplished all this while also working around the 50th anniversary renovations of the sanctuary.
Our church is really looking forward to Christmas weekend. We decided to have two Christmas Eve services and one service on Christmas Sunday. We also discovered that this Christmas Sunday is the 45th anniversary of the first service in our sanctuary. It will be the first Sunday service with the brand-new carpet completely installed.
But as special as the occasion is, it is the act of worshiping together again in celebration of Jesus birth that makes this weekend so special. We’re looking forward to two wonderful candlelight services on Christmas Eve, the first at 6 PM, and the second at 8:30 PM. Our praise team will be leading music at 6 PM and Dave Schwarz along with Fran and Richard Filmer will be leading music at 8:30 PM. Each service will include four special numbers as listed and each will end, in candlelight.
6:00 p.m. Briana, Joanne – Flute, Harp “O Holy Night”
David Schwarz- “Let There be Light”
Trio: Licia, Clar, and Kim-” Follow the Star”
Eva Boswell and Ally Parker – Signing and Dance to “God With Us”
8:30 p.m. Dick Filmer Handbell Solo: “Silent Night”
Dave Schwarz – “Let There be Light”
JoAnne: Harp ” He is Born, the Divine Christ Child”
Victoria Kipping and Carol Rothwell: “Christ Child”
Christmas morning we are having one service at 10:30 AM. We are really looking forward to it because during that service our children will be putting on their musical called, “The Greatest Gift.” Children’s musicals are always a highlight at Christmas. Other special music will include Richard Filmer on organ for offertory and JoAnne Jones and Brianna Wilkinson on harp and flute.
One more thing is needed to make the weekend complete. It is for you to be there with us worshiping Jesus for his birthday.
So many people have been involved in our 50th anniversary makeover renovation project in the sanctuary. As pastor I am thankful to each one on behalf of our congregation. It has made a big project go quite smoothly. So much is been accomplished in a few short weeks and during a busy season of the year as well. I hope to collect some pictures of volunteers at work. Maybe others will have some to add. Thanks again. I believe we can all rejoice in the new look; and just in time for Christmas too.
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For some time, many denominations with beliefs similar to the Wesleyan Church have been working together to forge ties that allow for greater cooperation. I have been very excited about the potential of these discussions. Today I learned through this news release that they have taken a major step forward. I am very excited to report this increased unity among people of like precious faith. It is a tangible way for us to fulfill Jesus prayer that his church would become one (John 17:21). I believe that this step forward will help all of these denominations to grow stronger. http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=00c1511d30181354bb3f64685&id=00384d244b&e=7327beb1e4
Categories
50th Celebration date
The other day Steven and I were talking about the actual birthday of Community Wesleyan Church. We knew it was Easter 1962 but we did not know the date. So I reached for my copy of the Book of Common Prayer which has an Easter date table in it and looked up the Easter date for that year. My eyes widened, I’m sure, and I let out a shout of surprise as I discovered the answer. Easter in 1962 fell on April 22 which is the exact date we have chosen for our 50th Anniversary celebration in 2012. We did not realize that correlation when we chose it. Rather we just picked a Sunday a couple weeks after this coming Easter so that the celebration would not get lost in or detract from Easter and so previous attenders now attending other churches could be here without missing Easter service at their current churches. But now it is discovered that we will be celebrating God’s faithfulness 50 years later to the day. What an added blessing!
This morning as I was reading my devotional book, I found some great thoughts from E. Stanley Jones. Sometimes we belittle the small kindnesses that we do for others out of love. But just maybe they are more important that we think. “The love of God is the biggest thing in the universe, and when that love is incarnate in a deed, then the deed is big….We don’t try to love; we just let Love love. And as we do, …his perfect Love perfects our love and perfects us in the process.” (365 Days with E. Stanley Jones p. 351) With this perspective, we are less likely to hold back when it seems sacrificial or to unconsciously expect returns on our investments. We are privileged to a channel for God’s love and we are being enlarged in heart through loving, whether or not it is returned.
Building the Tabernacle
I’ve been thinking about the renovations happening in our sanctuary. Through our whole planning and remodeling process I have been very much thinking about the building of the tabernacle in the desert under Moses’ leadership and God’s direction. In Exodus there are three chapters of specific instructions about how Moses was to build it (Ex. 25-28). The process began with an offering, collecting gifts of materials from the people for the project. The people gave willingly and generously. In fact, they gave more than was needed so that Moses had to order them to stop giving (Ex. 36:6,7). The Tabernacle was to be constructed well, and of durable materials, meant to last. Its lavishness was a symbol of the value attached to worshiping God. Great care and skill were required of the builders in order to follow the plan God made for it. God appointed a man named Bezalel whom he had especially gifted for the task (Ex. 31:2).
Our 50th Anniversary Sanctuary Makeover Project
I see several points of similarity between our renovations in the sanctuary and the building of the Tabernacle. Of course, we needed to begin with an offering too. And we are praising God that pledges have come in sufficiently to complete the kitchen makeover and the sanctuary renovations including the lighting. Cash offerings are on hand to cover the kitchen and the sanctuary renovation but not yet the lighting. But there has all along been a great attitude of willingness to give just there was as in the OT.
Another similarity is the desire I have observed in all our committees and boards to plan for durable changes. We have been very conscious that we have enjoyed a sanctuary that was completed 45 years ago this Christmas. The rug is the original and there have been few changes needed because the original builders built very well. So our desire has been to make plans that will serve for another generation. For example, this meant choosing a much better grade of carpet to achieve the goal.
God has blessed us with a trustee chair, Shaun Harrington, who is able to map out the project and keep it on schedule. He has also sent a helpful sheetrock contractor and is continuing to send willing volunteer workers so that we are looking to complete the carpet and wall renovations before Christmas.
We are privileged to work on this project
Just like in the OT, I believe there is a sense among us that it is a privilege to be called upon to work on God’s house. We are honored to be chosen to equip it to better fulfill its mission as a tool of the people of God for the work of God in worship, service to others and discipleship. Our gifts and labor are investments in the spiritual well-being of the next generation.