"Who Do You Think You Are?"

Announcements
Youth Group Wednesdays: 6:30-7:30 pm
Wednesday Family Night begins with meal at 6:00
Women's Community Bible Study, Tuesdays at 9:45
Next Sunday there will be a Semi-Annual Congregational Meeting following the worship service.
Faith in Fabrics meets 2nd Thursday of each month, 10 a.m. till 2 p.m.

Pastor Terry White welcomed us, shared announcements, and then  read from Luke 3:16. "John answered them all, “I baptize you with[a] water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with[b] the Holy Spirit and fire."

After a time of worship an offering was taken and we proceeded to spend a little time in prayer.

Who Do You Think You Are?

Terry brought a couple different trees again this week and showed how each is unique and different. The Tamarack is very different and especially unique and he

Who are the people whom you have been entwined with through the years? And what effect did they have on your life as regard how your life story has been formed? We all have intertwining stories.

Then he shared the lyrics of My Story. "If I told you my story you would hear hope that never lets go... love that never gave up... " (You can read all the lyrics here: "My Story.")

Here's today's foundation text: Luke 3:15-20

Then we turned to Acts 19:11-20, the story about some people who thought that they would do the same kinds of miracles Paul was doing. But in their case, the demon-possessed man did not recognize or acknowledge their authority.

Terry stated we need to develop an understanding of how God has changed us. Our testimony has to be built on authentic experience with God.

On the road of life we are meant to be like tour guides who can explain the meaning of faith, of the Gospel and Good News.

What does it look like to be a person filled with Christ in our modern world?

Being Bold

Our services have returned to a 10:30 a.m. starting time. It was thrilling to see that we were short on space in the parking lot. Sunday school started up again, 9:00 a.m.

Announcements
--Darlene shared that Sunday October 8 after church there will be a meeting to discuss ideas for our Christmas program.
--Joanne Winship indicated that Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. there will be a planning meeting for future Family Nights. And Youth Group will be meeting at 6:30 p.m.
--Saturday, October 14 there is a Fish Fry & Silent Auction fund raiser planned.
--The church has hired Chris Hagameyer as church administrator. There will at some point church office hours established, but for now Tuesday and Thursday will be times to call the church.
--The Emotionally Healthy Church is the book that has been selected for study this year.

Chuck opened the service reading the story from the New Testament in which Jesus calmed the storm as a lead in to what he said was his favorite song, Master of the Wind. "He can calm the storm and make the sun shine again. I know the Master of the wind."

After an uplifting time of singing, we greeted one another for an extended time before taking an offering while singing a lively "I Saw the Light."

There were numerous needs shared during our time of prayer.

Being Bold

Today's message is based on the passage from Matthew 14 in which Jesus walked on the water.

Pastor Terry began by asking "How many of you here see yourselves as Bold? How many of you are the opposite of this? Some boldness is just the way we are. That is, it's our nature. Sometimes caution is the right attitude though, too. How do we know when boldness is safe and when it's not?

The full story in Matthew 14 is quite striking. It tells how the situation came about in which Jesus walked on the water, and invited Peter to join Him.

* * * *

At one point Pastor Terry talked about Mark Zuckerberg's comment that was in the news this week, "Why (after all these years) are we still dealing with racism?" Terry noted that the Bible answers this. The heart is desperately wicked. But humanism believes humanity is essentially good and simply needs to be educated. Truth be told, cruelty, racism, man's inhumanity to man should not shock us.

What's amazing though is not how bad the storms are. Rather, what's astounding is how resilient people are.

So Jesus invited Peter to step over the railing of the boat, to walk on the water. Peter responded by ignoring his rational thinking and took several steps in faith.

There are moments where we step out boldly and the payoff isn't there because it wasn't Jesus' voice telling us to step out. This is where being part of a community of faith is helpful. If something seems outrageous, we can get a confirmation of sorts.

Homework: How are we going to listen to God this week? Who do we need to forgive this week? Who do we need to go to lunch with? What would be the bold thing you could do this week? How much do we give up our time to help another?

What does God have for you this week?

He Knows My Needs

Upcoming Events
--Women's Bible Study will be starting up again in September. A sign up sheet is in the back of the sanctuary.
--There will be a baby shower after church next Sunday, July 16, for Braelynn, daughter of Levi Landsverk.
--Pastor Terry is moving to his new home this month and could use help moving his Bonsai trees next Saturday. To help moving other things ask Terry for recommendation on best ways to help.

Children's Sermon
Susan Jessico invited the little ones up to the front and began by sharing a blueprints of our church building to show and share how important plans are. The key takeaway was how God has a blueprint for our lives, and that is what the Bible is. The children took turns sharing verse that address the various features of God's blueprint... to pray, to hide God's Word in our hearts and to trust God.

Baptism
We set aside time for the baptism of Lydia Glesner, daughter of Tom and Mary Glesner. Terry shared a few insights on how there are different views on baptism in different denominations. Most believe one view or another when it comes to baptism of infants or baptism of new believers. The Covenant Church holds a both/and position as opposed to either/or.

The Glesners came forward along with godparents and Pastor Terry blessed and prayed for Lydia and baptized her in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The family then came forward and all were prayed for.

* * * *

The ushers came forward and took the offering as the congregation sang "'Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus" followed by a time of prayer before the message.

* * * *

He Knows My Needs

In order to grow in the life of faith we need to know God better, to know who God is. As an illustration Terry brought a package of bread from Great Harvest.

This familiar passage from the Sermon on the Mount was our text: Matthew 7:7-14. What Jesus taught us was to ask each day for our daily bread. Ask, seek, knock...

If you, then, know how to give good gifts, how much more will God take care of you, give you good gifts. God is good. Do you believe this fundamental truth? God will take care of you.

The Lord's Prayer outlines the essentials of His care, that His kingdom would come and His will be done, that that our debts/sins would be forgiven and that we we be able to forgive others, that we be delivered from evil, that He would protect us from temptation,

Today we live in a moment of great promises. Sometimes they are short in coming and other times they are long in coming, but God is faithful and he will fulfill what He has promised.

Hold on to God's promises. God is good. Trust that He can do what He has promised.

Listen With Care

A dreary Sunday morning brightened when we entered the sanctuary where the walls were decorated for our upcoming week of Vacation Bible School theme, Maker Fun Factory: Created By God, Built for a Purpose.

Announcements
1. Dawn shared that we want to update our directory. A sheet is being passed around. Update or add your information.
2. VBS starts tomorrow!
3. Pastor Terry shared the news that their house has sold their home, but on the flip side the house they were seeking to purchase fell through. Pray for their next step.

Terry shared from Psalm 31 before leading us into a time of worship.

Karen shared details about the week ahead. In conjunction with VBS there is always a mission for which we raise money, in keeping with providing a vision beyond our own walls. Melissa shared what this year's mission will be supporting: clean water. Kelly then provided details, noting that every 20 seconds a child dies due to lack of access to clean water. Kelly read a letter from an 11-year-old girl from India who described their struggles to have water. The need is great in many parts of the world for this precious resource that we take for granted.

A massive thunderboom wiped out the power just as the children prepared to lead us in a song, We stood to sing but waited as the sound system was re-booted. High energy and a romp filled the church once the music returned.

Cheryl Borndal led us in a time of prayer before Pastor White came forward to share the message.

Listen With Care

Terry began by talking about the Ponderosa Pine he brought to today, to accompany his Azalea. Ponderosas are resilient. In contrast, the Azalea, so beautiful, is tender and not so resilient.

The sermon today was about evangelism and the Gospel. The theme for five weeks uses the acronym BLESS to bring home five points. Last week Terry spoke about the letter B.

B: Begin with prayer.
L: Listen
E: Eat
S: Serve
S: Share

This week is about listening. How well do you listen? How well do you hear what is said by others or by God?

The truth is that we don't listen well. Terry asked, "What are some things that keep us from good listening?"A number of responses followed including:
Distractions.
Thinking about what we're going to say while the other is talking.
Hearing aids.
Sometimes a person wants to talk and we try to fix things instead of just letting them share. Assumptions are a problem.
Changing the subject.

He then shared how there are inner questions many people have and we can hear what is taking place inside others if we become better listeners.

Am I alone in this world? People have a longing for community and friendship as well as purpose. By listening we can affirm people's value, and also help them feel connected to a community.

There are certain questions that rattle around in inside people no matter where they come from. Here are four basic struggles people have questions about:

Is there meaning to life?
Is there any hope in this world?
Do I belong in this world?
Is there anything beyond this?

All this served as a preface to a sermon on John 4, the story of the Samaritan woman at the well.

The disciples had gone into town. Jesus is by a well when a Samaritan woman comes along. He asks for water. She then asks a question, to which He replies in an indirect manner. Terry pointed out that only 3 times in NT does Jesus answer directly. More than 200 times He is asked questions, and Jesus' answers frequently move the dialogue to unexpected places.

We live in an era in which the basic truths of Christianity are no longer a part of our national understanding. Terry shared how missionaries have to approach their work in different ways based on the culture they find themselves in. They are sensitive to where the culture is at and it affects their approach to dialogue.

Ultimately, the basic questions are universal. Why am I here? Is there hope? What is life all about? What comes next after life?

Your assignment this week will be about learning to listen, and finding ways to turn conversations to the Lord, with the aim of hearing what is really happening in people's hearts. Your objective is not to convert people, but to sow a seed. If that person ever decides he wants to come to the Lord, they will know who to come to.

* * * *

Here is the passage from John 4 which Terry read from today.

John 4 (NIV)

Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John— ² although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. ³ So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.

⁴ Now he had to go through Samaria. ⁵ So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. ⁶ Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.
⁷ When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” ⁸ (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
⁹ The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
¹⁰ Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
¹¹ “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? ¹² Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”
¹³ Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
¹⁵ The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
¹⁶ He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”
¹⁷ “I have no husband,” she replied.
Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. ¹⁸ The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”
¹⁹ “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. ²⁰ Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
²¹ “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. ²² You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³ Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. ²⁴ God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
²⁵ The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
²⁶ Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.” 

Valuing the Most Valuable

Chuck Vanderscheuren welcomed us this morning and encouraged us to note the announcements. There is a lot happening here.

Announcements

The Worship Committee is seeking people to help usher, greet and help in other ways during the service.
We are also looking for people to help in small skits and readings during the service. Volunteers should contact Cheryl Borndal.
This Friday is a game night here at the church. Bring a friend. Bring a snack to share. Bring a fave game or puzzle. And most of all, bring yourself! Hope to see you here, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Ladies Bible Study, Tuesday from 10 a.m. till Noon here at the church.
Faith In Fabrics this Saturday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.. They will be busy making potholders, aprons and other necessities for camp this Saturday. Bring a sack lunch and something to share. Contact Darlene.
Camp brochures are printed and available. The rates have changed so note that. The church does have a camp scholarship fund to assist.

Chuck read to us from Psalm 42 before we entered into worship. We then sang a trio of songs and hymns from the blue hymnal. During the offering that followed a young violinist serenaded us with a rendition of I'll Fly Away.

Cheryl invited us to share our prayers requests and praises as we entered into a time of prayer.

Valuing the Most Valuable

Pastor Terry White began with a greeting and then made a additional few remarks about camp.

He told an interesting learning experience he had on Ash Wednesday. When you mix ashes and water and let it sit it makes lye, which will burn you. Experienced pastors know that you have to add oil to the mixture in order to restrain this chemical reaction.

The message today is from II Timothy 2:14-19. Before reading the passage Terry began by affirming that when all is said and done, God loves you very much.

The passage today has a matter of importance related to sorting. Many of us are good at sorting and enjoyed sorting baseball cards in various ways when we were young. In this passage Paul talks about sorting what is important from what is irrelevant, sorting truth from that which is incorrect.

He read from a book by Rich Mullins. The passage outlined a variety of ways we handle the Word. It begins, "The Bible is a very great book, the written witness of God and His Word... " You can read the whole of it here.

What are the things that really matter? What are the things that are most important?

A lot of times we quarrel about some things that are seemingly so important to us but to people outside the church seem really insignificant. In countries where there is persecution taking place people are not too concerned about whether the earth is old or young.

Paul encourages Timothy to handle the Word like proven workmen who do things right. Have you ever seen work that was done by contractors or carpenters who do work that they ought to be ashamed of? What often happens is more than mere incompetence. People are in a hurry, or maybe just don't care.

What's important is not your titles and degrees but the way you live your life.

Paul then points out that bad teaching will spread like gangrene. How we handle the Word is important. When all is said and done, these two things are important. (1) The Lord knows who are His, and (2) the invitation is for us to walk uprightly, to do what God asks of us.

The Bible is important and what is essential is that we boil things down to what really matter.

Terry pointed out that what's important is not what we think we know about the Bible, but what we are as people, and who we are becoming under its influence.

After the message we recited the Apostles' Creed and shared Communion.

Keeping It Simple (And Guess What? We Have A New Pastor)

Today is theoretically the last day Interim Pastor Terry White will be with us. After the service there will be a congregational meeting in which the church members will vote to have Terry become the actual, official pastor. Before the service we gathered in the Fireside Room for an informal time of Q&A regarding Terry's faith, life, vision.

During the Sunday school hour we had a special time with Terry White in which he shared some of who he is, how he came to Christ, and what makes him tick. Two verses which have been important in his life are Galatians 2:20 and the first verses of Isaiah 61.

Galatians 2:20 "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me." Isaiah 61:1-3 was the passage that Jesus read from when He began His ministry.

We talked a little bit about music, music styles and worship. A question was asked about books and authors. A.W. Tozer was listed first. I also like authors in different periods in history and from different countries. Henri Nouwen, Richard Foster... You can look at the bookshelf in my office.

When you thnk of what your family needs from us... what is your prayer that we can give back? "I love movement..." He described his motorcycle. It's mean to move. The church is meant to move. What's tired for me personally is when a church is stagnant so it becomes like having to move an 800 pound motorcycle around in a garage.

What is your vision? That we all come and worship together on Sunday... Also needed is a place to speak honestly about one's life. Small groups give us a chance to connect and grow. Third, that we each find our gifts and begin to use them to contribute. Leadership is certainly a need.

Are we going to be a church inwardly focused or outwardly, an inny or an outty? Terry suggested that one good way to see our focus would be to read the bulletin.

We asked what he reads? "Check out my bookshelf." Solid.

How comfortable are you with family/marriage counselling? Terry does counsel people, but some issues require specialist skills and he would be able to make referrals, but he has done plenty of listening and counselling. Our lives are the sum total of all the choices we have made.

Structures and muscles... Some churches have so much structure, but there is not enough muscle to make it work. Other churches are growing, have strength but not enough structure.

A question was asked about missions. Terry had yesterday talked about Mission Friends, a concept that came out of Scandinavia. There's always a possibility of getting out of balance. What does it look like to be involved in Mission? Terry told the story of Cornelius, a godly man who wanted to hear more and sent for Peter. In many of our lives there is a Cornelius who is hungry for more, who we could share with.

God invites us to live a life of faith, to live trusting Him. God does different things in different ways, and ultimately it is a faith walk, not a matter of learning answers to all the questions. The questions come at us in different ways and yesterday's answers don't always work today.

* * * *
Pastor Terry and the worship team welcomed us and our service commenced in the sanctuary with a time of worship. After an offering was taken, and a time of prayer Terry came forward.

Keeping It Simple

Pastor Terry began by noting that sharing one's testimony is not necessarily just "how I became a follower of Christ" but can also be about what God is doing in one's life now.

Eight years ago Terry experienced a time in his life in which he was feeling winded and out of shape spiritually. There are times when life gets weighty and you feel like checking out. What he learned was a little about worshiping even when you don't feel it. Psalm 16:5 "Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. 6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places..."

A lot of times we try to convince people about the Gospel with facts. But a better approach might be to begin this way: "It's been my experience..."

The topic for today is worship. What does it mean to worship?

Terminology creates theology. For example, many churches call this a worship center. But does that imply that outside the church building it is not a place for worship? Some churches have "worship pastor."

Definition of "worship": Worship is a response to God.

Terry elaborated on how football fandom operates. Based on the way people spend time and money on the fave teams,

-- We all want to identify with something bigger than ourselves.

-- We want to identify with winners.

Isaiah 26.8 declares, "Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts."

If you really want to identify with something bigger than yourself, the Kingdom of God is just what you are looking for. And if you want to identify with a winner, the Kingdom of God is the thing.

Praise the Lord.

All through the Psalms the exclamation is repeated. "Praise the Lord!"

Psalm 150

Praise the Lord,
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
2 Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
4 praise him with timbrel and dancing,
praise him with the strings and pipe,
5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.

The worship team was invited forward and we concluded the service with worship.

* * * *

At the end of the service we remained in the sanctuary to conduct a congregational meeting. Pam Johnson opened the meeting, and then Walt was called forward to explain the process that that resulted in our pastoral search team making a unanimous recommendation to the congregation to elect Terry White to serve as our pastor.

After Chuck read to Terry the requirements and responsibilities of the position, Carol then read the nomination. Ballots were handed out while an invitation to discuss the process was invited. A few explanations followed regarding compensation.

After we broke for snacks, including pie and ice cream, Walt announced that the votes were overwhelming in favor to extend the call to Terry to become our pastor. There was much applause. An official installation service will be held in two weeks.

Congratulations, Terry.

Moving Targets

The Sound Team

Those who arrive early can capture the flavor of our worship themes as the worship team practices beforehand. As the sanctuary fills there are many new faces, and pastor Terry White has instituted the habit of having us write our names on name tags so we get to know one another by name and not just by face. (My name is Ed.)

After a sound check Pastor White invited us to come in and take a seat so we can begin our service. "Good morning," he exclaimed, and after

Announcements
Fall craft and quilt retreat, October 28 & 29. Contact Amy D or Darlene.
Men's Iron Sharpening Iron is next Saturday at Clyde Iron, 9-12
Next Sunday there will be a Semi-Annual Congregational Meeting after the service.
And don't forget to keep in mind that Daylight Savings Time will end November 6. "Fall Back" one hour at 2 a.m.

The Worship Team

Pastor Terry stated, "Some people think we go to the Bible to find Truth, but I believe we go to the Bible to find Jesus." Then invited us to worship. The music team, comprised of Terry White's daughters and son-in-law Joe, led us in a special heart-felt series of worship songs rooted in Scripture and history.

After the offering and a time of prayer, Terry began his message.

Moving Targets

A Weekly Object Lesson

Pastor Terry shared how getting know us as a congregation helps his sermons become more on target, hence he enjoys taking time after the service to interact with us. He also noted that conversations are a way he can get better at liberating us from the things tripping us up or trapping us.

Another point he made was how life is sometimes a jumble because our head knows the truth but our hearts are cold or hurt.

The congregation was given an assignment last week: research the heart. Last week's message gad to do with the heart.
"If you're headed in the wrong direction, no point being in a hurry." As Jeremiah once wrote, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and there is no cure."

The Good News of the Gospel is that a stony cold heart can be removed and replaced with a heart of flesh.

Life is a difficult battle between having a thick skin and a soft heart. We live in a rough world and it would be easier if we could just harden our hearts to the pain, but what God wants is for us to keep our hearts tender as we thicken our skin.

A disciple is a fully devoted follower of Christ. Since Jesus calls us to "make disciples" we should understand what a disciple is.

It's important to be disciples ourselves, but also learn how to help others become or be disciples.

When our hearts are wounded we can wound others.

It is really important to understand where our hearts are at. This is very different from legalism where we wear a shell that lets people know we are Christians. God wants us healed and healing others from within, from the heart.

The challenge of being a true follower of the light is that the closer we get to the light the more messed up we discover we are. Yet this gracious God loves us as we are and invites us to draw nearer still.

Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

In Psalm 32 David wrote, "Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven." Terry went further and this passage should be read and internalized.And then we looked at Psalm 51.

When we fail, when we sin, we can seek forgiveness and it lifts us up. But when we continue in sin it's a downward spiral, causing shame and heaviness. Pastor Terry encouraged us to know the condition of our hearts.

He then talked about growing up in Kansas. He showed us a purple clothing item that initially led us to think it was a Vikings jersey, but turned out to say K State, short for Kansas State. Kansas State, where his uncles attended college, did not have a good football team. In fact they were very weak. But on one occasion when he was eight years old he went to a game between Kansas State and Kansas that was very dramatic, which their team looked to potentially win. In his excitement, young Terry exclaimed that that's what he wanted to do when he grew up. His father's response cut deep. "You'll never be good enough."

Terry wasn't looking for sympathy here. He was illustrating a point. Words can be powerful, and hurt us very deeply. We all carry painful moments in which something that was said simply crushed us.

He reminded us of the Beattitude: "Blessed are those who mourn will be comforted."

And then he shared the key to healing. Our hearts are filled with little things that gnaw at us. Forgiveness is a big part of getting our hearts straight and whole.

Lake Superior is a great parable. At times it is crystal clear. But other times there are storms and the water is murky, muddy and a swirling dark.

In closing he shared a song called Martyrs and Thieves that begins "There's place in the darkness I used to cling to..."  I strongly encourage you to read the lyrics here.

The Christian life is one of paradox, in which we are asked to give up something worthless in exchange for something of infinite value.

Growing Together

The day began with overcast skies that quickly converted to a steady rain. Chuck Vanderscheuren welcomed us and quickly turned to announcements.

Announcements

Next Sunday there will be a potluck dinner after the service. 

Prayer Team: If you have a request for prayer, contact Pearl Harmon or Nancy Peyton.

Our worship time began with the reading of Psalm 23. After several worship songs, Gail played a flute solo as the offering was taken.

There were many prayer requests this morning that we shared and lifted up to God. After the prayer time Cheryl and Darlene performed a skit dealing with the importance of staying connected with the church family, addressing today's sermon theme.

Growing Together

There are seasons in life. Sometimes it's spring and everything seems to be budding, blooming, bursting with life. There are other times when it seems like winter and simply staying alive is the goal.

Today's message used Ephesians 4:11-16 as its springboard. 

There are many passages in Scripture that speak of our individual walk with God, but this letter addresses our community of faith. Paul writes about the oneness of the body in this letter and our call to serve one another that the body of Christ may be built up, that we might achieve the unity of faith and attain the full measure of the fullness of Christ.

There are many ways to be a healthy body of believers. One problem that occurs is a drift in values. When we drift away from our mission and make "fun" and "safety" our aim, we've lost our focus.

For this reason, Pastor White created a handout that outlines our Covenant affirmations, the founding values of the Evangelical Covenant Church of which we are a part. The aim of these affirmations is to produce a healthy, missional body of believers.

Our place in the worldwide Christian Church...
We are an apostolic church. We confess Jesus Christ and the faith of the apostles as recorded in the Holy Scriptures. We believe the authority of the Bible is supreme in all matters of faith, doctrine, and conduct, and it is to be trusted. “Where is it written?” was and is the Covenant’s touchstone of discussion with regard to faith and practice.
We are a catholic church. The word catholic literally means universal. This means we understand ourselves to be a part of the community of believers that began with Jesus’s first followers, is alive today, and will continue until Christ comes again.
We are a Reformation church. We stand in the mainstream of a church renewal movement of the sixteenth century called the Protestant Reformation. Especially important is the belief that we are saved by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, not by anything that we can do. The Covenant Church is also shaped by Pietism, a renewal movement that originated in seventeenth-century Europe and emphasized the need for a life that is personally connected to Jesus Christ, a reliance on the Holy Spirit, and a call to service in the world. We are an evangelical church.

For Covenant people, our essential beliefs are summed up in what we call Covenant Affirmations:
We affirm the centrality of the word of God.
We affirm the necessity of the new birth.
We affirm a commitment to the whole mission of the Church.
We affirm the Church as a fellowship of believers. It is a family of equals: as the New Testament teaches that within Christian community there is to be neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, but all are one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).
We affirm a conscious dependence on the Holy Spirit.
We affirm the reality of freedom in Christ.

 Conclusion... The Evangelical Covenant Church is a pilgrim church.

>>Read the document in its entirety here.<<

Here at New Life Covenant our aim is to be both Healthy and Missional. Healthy in the sense that we are pursuing Christ. Missional in the sense that we are pursuing Christ's priorities in the world.

The beauty of being a healthy, missional church is that it's not formula-based and not related to size. It's not musical styles or programs. It's about choices we make and being rooted in advancing God's Kingdom. In short, a healthy, missional church is comprised of healthy, missional people.

Two Becoming One

Interim Pastor Terry White welcomed us on this gorgeous summer Sunday morning.

Announcements
Nursery volunteers are being sought for the coming year. Sign up sheet in the back.
Next Sunday is Rally Sunday. Note time change: service begins at 10:15 p.m.
Fish Fry Saturday September 17. An opportunity to minister to people in our community by just being friendly.

"The introit is a time in which we move into a listening to God." The call to worship was from Psalm 34:1-3 as Terry invited us to listen to the music and learn how to be in the presence of the Lord as we worshiped the Lord in song.

An offering was taken and blessed, and then Chuck led us in a time of prayer.  (Some members of our church family visited Arline Stapleton in Rochester and brought back a report that she's doing well and thinking of us. "What a beautiful woman," one said. )

Two Becoming One

Today's message revolved around II Corinthians 5:11-21.

Pastor White began by sharing how the meanings of words have changed over the centuries.
Awful used to mean full of awe. Egregious is another word that got transfigured over time. He then instructed us to tell someone they were nice, then he said "nice" used to mean ignorant. The word has had a number of unkind definitions over the years before arriving at its present usage.

Meanings of words change.  In the days following the Resurrection people who were followers of Christ were called Followers of the Way. It wasn't till later in the book of Acts that they were called Christians.

Nowadays the word Christian means different things. Sometimes it means you grew up in the church or other meanings. Terry prefers to say he is a follower of Jesus, which is more descriptive.

In a world where words have fuzzy meanings, what language can we use that speaks to broken people? "Living forever" may not cut it. Terry likes the word "reconciliation."

We read the passage from II Cor. 5 and then Terry asked us what makes reconciliation so hard? A number of reasons were given, but the point he brought us to was how difficult it is for two people to become one.

We live in moments where it is difficult to live in agreement and reconciliation. Nearly all of Christian life is learning to talk like God talks, love like God loves.

What advantages do we get by not being reconciled? None. What do we gain by being reconciled? Everything.

What does it take for two people to be one? It's rewarding only when we are both reconciled to God.

What does it look like when your relationship is broken? It is a weighty thing. And when you see all the brokenness in the world, the root of it is the lack of reconciliation with God.

At the end of this passage Paul wrote, "We implore you... be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

Key thought: To want what God wants, this is the path out of our brokenness that leads us to the hope and life we long for.

After singing Jesus Messiah we shared the Sacrament of Communion.

"Can't See the Forest..."

The late summer morning is overcast, but hearts are warm and bright here as we gather at New Life Covenant. There's a liveliness in the sanctuary that is welcoming. Upon entering we put on name tags to make it easier for us to get to know one another, especially with all the new faces. Chuck Vanderscheuren greeted us and invited us to say hello to interim pastor Terry White and his wife Leah after the service here this morning. There will be a 9:30 coffee and conversation opportunity to informally meet with Pastor Terry and Leah on Wednesday this week.

Other announcements included Rally Sunday on September 11. Saturday the 17th will be a Fish Fry with the new Sunday School season beginning the 18th.

The worship team included Pastor White's accompaniment on drums.

During the offering Chuck & Darlene's grand-daughter Scarlet played The B-I-B-L-E.... That's the Book for Me. From here we went into a time of prayer for needs in the church family.

Our worship time followed and then Pastor White was introduced.

"Can't See the Forest..."

Terry White began by sharing that he felt compelled to introduce himself and share his life story briefly so as to give a context to who he is as he is beginning a relationship with the New Life church family.

Part of being an interim here is to help carry on the work that is already going on. He also mentioned that part of being an interim is that he is filling in after the loss of our previous pastor, which includes honesty about our mourning. Some mourn quickly and for others it takes a little longer. Terry's candor in all this was refreshing.

The good thing in our situation is that there is no big drama that led to this current set of circumstances.

* * *
The sermon topic is an expansion on Paul's prayer that the Ephesians would know God better. Hence, this message would be a broad overview of all that God is as revealed in Scripture.

Exodus 3:10-15 is about the call of God to Moses to lead God's people out of Egypt. It's the story of the burning bush, and God explains to Moses that when the Egyptians question his authority, Moses is to say, "I AM sent me."

God is. This is the first thing to know about God. He is. He exists. And He's bigger than we can comprehend.

There are images of God that we are comfortable with and hold on to. He is kind, faithful. He is love.

But there are other features of God that are uncomfortable. He sometimes hides Himself.

God has many names...
Elohim... the all-powerful creator.
Emmanuel... He is with us.
And many others...
The Lord who provides.
The Lord who is my peace.

How can God be both merciful and just?
How can God be sovereign yet give us free will?

He's our Savior.... and He's our Lord.

Many of these faces of God are two sides of the same coin... Justice and mercy present an especially good example.

Terry said he wants us to be moved by knowing God's love, not to be moved out of fear. Could it be that God is bigger than any box that your imagination can construct? Absolutely.

He is servant and savior. He's the Ancient of Days... and more attributes and names still, an author, potter, redeemer, the uncaused cause.... our strength and shield, Messiah, fire from heaven, freedom from the curse of sin, suffering servant, coming king, great high priest, faithful pastor, everlasting covenant, Good Shepherd, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.... He is. The Alpha and Omega, the Great I Am.

Why does all this matter?
There's a name that is above every name....

Isaiah 6:1-5
1 In the year that King Uzzi′ah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim; each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; 
the whole earth is full of his glory.”

4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

On the day when you and I have the most clarity about God, it is still a minimum. There is so much more to know.

The service ended with this video about the names of God.