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Lordship Community Church |
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| January 2010 Vol. 8 No. 1 |
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January Special Event... SAVE THE DATE—The Annual Holiday Dinner for the Pastor will take place at 6:00 p.m. on January 11, 2010 at McCoy’s Pub in Stratford. Seating has been limited to the first 30 members to sign up. Meal selections need to be placed in advance. There is a choice of three entrees: Shepherd’s Pie, Salmon or Stuffed Roasted Chicken Breast.
The 3 course meal also features a choice of soup or salad, potatoes and vegetables, with a dessert and coffee.
There is a cash bar. The cost is $17 per person (with tax & gratuity) to be paid that night at the restaurant.
If you have not added your name to the sign-up sheet in the narthex, please contact the church office,
Come celebrate the Pastor, the holidays and this new restaurant!
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 December Steeple Lighting The Steeple lighting for December was in dedicated memory of:
Frederick K. Biebel Jr.
From the family with love.
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ANNUAL REPORTS-
ATTENTION ALL COMMITTEE CHAIRS-please submit your annual reports ASAP
These reports will need to be submitted no later than January 8th.
We appreciate your cooperation so we can get the Annual Report done in a timely manner.
ANNUAL MEETING-ATTENTION ALL CHURCH MEMBERS
The Lordship Community Church Annual Meeting
will take place Sunday, January 31, 2010.
A formal meeting notice will be issued after January 1, 2010.
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Prayer of the month |
Blue Christmas Service |
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Creative God, in Jesus Christ, We come-- Because you are a God of hope, we know that you are always creating amazing possibilities for our future. Because you are a God of love, we know that you accept and forgive our mistakes of the past. Because you are a God of joy, we know that you will be about bringing light and laughter to our lives. Because you are a God of peace, we know that you will help us build peace in our hearts, in our homes, in our country and in the world. Amen.
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 Because not everyone is happy over the Christmas holiday, Rev. Mary once again held a “Blue Christmas” This Service was especially designed to reach out to |
Soundingsby Rev. Mary Snell Willis |
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him, shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 NIV The challenge is 4-part: loving God with your whole heart, soul, mind and strength. What's nice about this is that you start right where you are! 1) What's involved with loving God with all our heart? Can you put the best construction on everything? Instead of thinking negatively about someone, can you notice what is positive about that person and then smile about the new good you see? Instead of noticing what is bad about a situation, can you see good in it? How can you work to bring out the best in a person or a situation? I have a cross-stitched Native American prayer on my office wall and it always speaks to me: "Great Spirit, help me never to judge another until I have walked in his moccasins for two weeks." When we strive to see another through his or her own life's story and journey, it becomes easier to love them, and by loving them, so to love God, to love God with our whole heart! 2) What's involved with loving God with all our soul? That's pretty challenging because it means beginning to let go of our tight grip on life and letting go, moving lightly into the mystery. It mean opening up to the realization that holy moments surround us. "Whether we see the sacred and holy in everyday life is not a matter of whether it exists. Looking for it can show us that it's been there all along, hiding in plain sight-if we but open our eyes to expect it." (USA Today, Oct. 26, 2009, p. 11A.) I think Fred Biebel understood this as he started his story telling with, "A funny little thing happened..." For him, it wasn't little nor funny for he realized each moment, person and situation was loaded with special meaning and potentiality. Loving God with your whole soul means walking by faith, not by sight, while looking for "signs and wonders" of the Holy Spirit reaching out to us. 3) What's involved with loving God with all our mind? Of course that isn't easy either. The mind hungers for answers. The mind raises questions. 3) The mind wants to know, to know for certain. Life is not all that clear most of the time. We want to see the world in contrasts: good and bad, right and wrong, dark and light. Yet most of life is gray, isn't it? Just when we think we have something all figured out, it changes or morphs with more information becoming available, or some expert disagrees with what another expert is saying. It's hard to keep an open mind and yet life is about change and the minute we close our minds, we stop learning and growing and, in fact, we begin dying. Loving God involves keeping an open perspective and studying ideas so that we can each make up our own minds about God, God's Word, God's ways, God's universe, God's mystery. It means taking time to learn more about God and how God is always moving in the world. 4) What's involved with loving God with all our strength? I believe this means loving God with all our body. Is your body and mine a temple? "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. That's a tuffy, isn't it? We look at glamorous entertainers or sports stars or models and we come up short---and wide-so we misuse our bodies trying to get them "right." I know of a 10-year old who is drinking Muscle Milk so he can get stronger to swing harder! And we all know girls and women who have suffered from bulimia or anorexia! Now the problem is overweight youth who are already on cholesterol and diabetes medication. As an obese nation, living on man-made foods, we are most definitely not loving God with our whole bodies. But, we can admit the problem and begin to change, can't we? Do you like sweets? Cut back. How about bread and carbohydrates? Eat less. Do you drink too much? Reduce your intake. Mostly, get moving. Park farther from store entrances... Get a dog who has to be walked...Move your body when the ads come on TV. You get the idea. Eat less, exercise more, look more in the mirror and less at the media and, above all, smile more. That's how you and I can love God with our whole bodies. I know, I know, that's a lot to think about...and, I admit it is, but God Is on our side. Pick just one of those areas and "try your hardest!" When you have one going okay, try another. It's just like juggling! Start with where you are already succeeding somewhat in one area and move on from the easiest to the hardest for you. "For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible." Mark 10:27. Now repeat after me: "With God all things are possible!" Merry Love in Christmas! Send lots of love out there for God in the baby Jesus. Then when 2010 comes, let God put love in you and grow love for God with your whole heart, soul, mind and body. I will, too! Let me know how you're doing-this is not a test-it's just a life, yours and mine-in this realm and the next also! Joy & Peace, Rev. Mary |
 So much fun comes bringing music and joy to others during the holiday season.That’s why the Music Committee and the choir invited others to join them in caroling to Lordship shut-ins
on Sunday, December 20, at 6 PM. After caroling, singers enjoyed hot chocolate and donuts.
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Music and Choir News
"Tell me, where are we going?" This is a pretty common question that can be asked by anyone at any time. But when I ask it, I am specifically asking it of our church community here at Lordship. I was pretty impressed with all the hands-on work everyone did to create such an incredible Christmas Fair. I feel the same way about all the wonderful dinners that Lordship church hosts almost every month. But now, I want to ask it of worship "Where are we going?" If you want a great choir, think about stepping up to the plate and attending rehearsals on Thursday night. Choir is instrumental at worship in many ways. We not only work hard on learning choir anthems, but we also are there to help teach the congregation new hymns that we've never sung before from our own hymnbook. We learn how to sing, what music ministry is all about and are a great group of people! If you want a children's choir, think about bringing your children to church on Sundays and stay after worship so the children can have a 20 minute choir rehearsal. I would like to start regular rehearsals on the first and third Sunday of each month. While they become an integral part of the church community, you can have fantastic fellowship in the social room. What do you think? Choir rehearsals are every Thursday evening, starting January 7th, 7PM - 8:30PM up in the choir room. Open to all ages. Children's choir rehearsals can begin in January, just let me know if this is a ministry that you want at Lordship. Susan Bryn Kapec, Minister of Music |
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| Book Group TO RESUME |
Quilting Circle |
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 The Quilting Circle has announced their next project.
Dues are $60 per year or $10 per month (payable to Lordship Community Church). |
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