Changing Perspectives:: Seeing Christmas through Mary & Joseph’s eyes December 1, 2009

This is our Advent series for the year.  Each week we’ll look at the Christmas story through the perspective of a different character within the story.  We started with Mary & Joseph.

The band kicked us off with a couple songs: Song of Hope (Robbie Seay Band) and You’ll Come (Hillsong).

We watched this precious opening video : click here to watch it.

Then Eric and I shared our thoughts and what the scripture has to say about Mary and Joseph.  We’re expecting our first child in June, so in many ways we can relate to them in a whole new way.  This sharing was as much a testimony as it was informative.

As an intro to Joseph, we watched this video – not scriptural – but great to get you thinking: Click here to watch it.

As we wrapped up we introduced the idea of Theotokos.  Here is some of what was said:

Mary’s story is our story.  The Divine was within Mary… and is within you. 
Genesis said it in chapter one, “you’re made in God’s image.”
Jesus said it, “The kingdom is within you.”
Paul said it… “Christ in you is the hope of glory.”

I love those great words of the medieval mystic Eckhart, “We are all meant to be mothers of God.  What good is it to me if the eternal birth of the divine Son takes place… but does not take place within myself?  And, what good is it to me if Mary is full of grace if I am not also full of grace?  What good is it to me for the Creator to give birth to his Son if I do not also give birth to him in my time and my culture…”

This concept of being a God-bearer gave Mary another name: Theotokos.  Which is greek for “God-bearer and the one who gives birth to God”

So we invited everyone (and you) to spend some time really thinking about how you are living out your calling to be Theotokos in the world.  Each week of this series we’ll make a Christmas tree ornament, that we hope you’ll take home and put on your tree and use as a reminder of these changed perspectives. This week we’re focusing in on the God-bearer in you.  At your tables there are supplies…and I explained the craft.  A foam Christmas ornament that represented their “womb”  – they drew a picture in that space that represented how they are Theotokos.

Mary’s “let it be with me” invites each of us to be a theotokos—a God-bearer, a gospel bearer in our own lives, in the wombs of our own hearts, in our own flesh and blood.

Advent is not just a season of God’s coming to us, but of our coming to God, our bringing to God what we have to give. It invites us to mother God in our own lives and circumstances.

“when we allow God to be born in us, there’s no telling, no telling at all, what will come out.”

So we each made an ornament and several shared their images of Theotokos with the group.  The band led us in “Made to Worship” by Tomlin, and we closed out with a prayer.  It was a good night.

Here is our current prayer request list. (Anyone can ask for prayer, just let me know! You can talk to me or drop one of our prayer request cards in the worship space Drop Boxes.)

:: Sonya Cooper’s dad is recovering well from his surgery!

:: Eric and Tina are expecting their first child!  So far, so good.  Please keep everyone’s health in your prayers.

:: Pray for Christa and her sons

:: Lacy Thompson is home safe and sound from Ecuador! 

:: Andrea, Amanda B and Randall F are all looking for new jobs – pray God will open up the right opportunities.

:: Pray for Sam Dills (and his family) as he fights cancer.

:: Pray for Tony S – his truck died – Pray God is in the midst of it all and provides another vehicle.

:: Pray for Keith Kenney – he’s injured his ankle pretty severely.

Fit for Life :: Emotional Health :: 8.16.9 August 17, 2009

We started a new series tonight!  
Our theme verse for this series is 1 Timothy 4:7-8 (Today’s New International Version)
Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.  For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

So we hope that in the course of these 5 weeks we can take a look at our health – from several angles – and be challenged to be more godly in all those areas.  On this first night of the series we started with the idea that we’re all starting from a place of brokenness.  All of us struggle with health in different ways.  If you don’t, then you might not be in the right place!  Because Jesus said this about the idea…

Mark 2:15-17 (New Living Translation)
Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.) But when the teachers of religious law saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?”  When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

“A church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.”  ~ Abigail Van Buren

 This family of ours, the church, is a place where you can hold up that injury and ask for healing, and as we start this series, I’m hoping we can work on that – because we don’t always do a good job of this.  Here at RUMC, I’ve seen amazing examples of the “hospital” – and we want to always be working to make that more and more apparent.

We passed out band aids – and asked everyone to attach theirs somewhere visible.  We then thought about one of our health issues, and mentally named that bandaid.  We imagined that the word was written on your Bandaid for all to see.  Would that make you nervous?  I wish it didn’t – that we could all be this transparent and that it would be ok!  We left the bandaids on so that through the service we could practice being ok with our issues out in the open – seen but not judged.

Part of our decoration in the room for the series are framed photos of people.  People who represent fitness in different areas of life.  Not that they’re perfect, but that they have set good examples to follow.  This week’s topic of health is EMOTIONAL.  So I pointed out Maya Agelou & Anne Lamott, who I think both exemplify a life of honesty and beauty as they have worked through the ups and downs of emotion.   

Maya said this about her profession: “The idea is to write it so that people hear it and it slides through the brain and goes straight to the heart.” 

She also said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” 

Anne said this about writing: “I try to write the books I would love to come upon, that are honest, concerned with real lives, human hearts, spiritual transformation, families, secrets, wonder, craziness — and that can make me laugh. When I am reading a book like this, I feel rich and profoundly relieved to be in the presence of someone who will share the truth with me, and throw the lights on a little, and I try to write these kinds of books. Books, for me, are medicine.”

As we move through the series, we’ve invited the congregation to bring in their own pictures of “fit” folks, so that a room of faces can smile to us that there is hope!

We opened the night with “Unchanging” by Tomlin, and then watched a video.  Each week we’ll be journeying with a young man (Andrew) who has hopes of winning the Mr. Universe Competition.  He’s being trained by The Coach (McKenzie) and as he wrestles with his fitness level in each area, so will we!

After sharing the big idea of the series, the band aid thinking time and the pictures on the walls, Amanda took over and talked to us some about Emotional Health.  She shared some very insightful facts about emotional health issues – how common they are, signs to look for, how to react and respond, resources for finding help and ideas for working through emotional issues on your own.  She offered a handout at the end of the night which included a relaxation exercise, some on-line resources and a “Emotional Bill of Rights” that was very helpful to her as she worked through many of these issues herself.  (Leave me a comment if you’d like any of these things.)

She particularly lifted up prayer and thanksgiving as a tool for combating emotional distress.  Paul said it this way in Phillipians 4:6-9 (The Message)

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Our response to all this came in the words to the song we sang: “Unashamed Love” by Ten Sheckle Shirt.  We sang and asked God to give us a childlike faith, so we could lift up honest praise and unashamed love to tell God how worthy he is of it.

The John led us in a prayer of healing and hope, as people placed their hands on those band aids they had put on earlier.  We closed with “Marvelous Light” and celebrated knowing that “sin has lost it’s power, death has lost it’s sting, from the grave He’s risen, VICTORIOUSLY!” 

Here is our current prayer request list. (Anyone can ask for prayer, just let me know! You can talk to me or drop one of our prayer request cards in the worship space Drop Boxes.)

:: Jackie Anderson is still traveling a VERY rough road. Pray for the details to come together. For hope and healing and willingness to hang on tight!

:: Pray for Katie Thompson’s grandparents – things are going better than expected.

:: Pray for Christa and her sons

:: Pray for Lacy Thompson – she’s serving as a missionary in Ecuador until Thanksgiving.

:: Toni R, Amanda B and Randall F are all looking for new jobs – pray God will open up the right opportunities.:: Pray for Sam Dills (and his family) as he fights cancer.

:: Pray for John P’s grandmother – she’s going through a rough period right now.

:: Pray for Jennifer K’s cousin’s family – she passed away suddenly, leaving two small children behind.

Your Stories :: Angie’s Flowers April 16, 2009

Following our service on Easter, 2009, we invited people to take home a vase of flowers with an Easter card to someone who could use them.  The following email came from Angie, who was in worship with us that night:

In regards to the flower vases that we took with us on Sunday, I will tell you that I gave both of mine away.

One went to my neighbor Rachel and her boyfriend Robert.  He has actually asked me about the church a couple of times, and I have invited them twice.  So, I knew I wanted them to have one.  Their vase contained Lilac, and Rachel intends to root it, so that we can enjoy it in our yards!

The other vase I took, went to the woman who took my order at the Ringgold Krystal when we drove through after church!  It was the funniest thing.  I didn’t initially know who that vase would go to, but when she took my order, I knew immediately that it was hers. 

When I drove around to the window, before I had a chance to say a word about it, she said to me, “Oh my goodness, those flowers are so beautiful.  Are they real?” I replied, “Yes they are real, and I have brought them to you!” 

She was sooooooo happy that she yelled to everyone working there to look at what she had been given!!! She asked me more about the church, and said that she has a 12 year old son who would probably love to come.  She said that he has crippling arthritis and doesn’t get out much.  She told me that she has worked there at that Krystal for 10 years.

Way to plant some beautiful seeds of God’s love, Angie!!

Fishin’ Hole Survey April 16, 2009

We’re trying to improve what we do at the Fishin’ Hole (that’s the children’s program that runs during The Water’s Edge.)  So we’ve got a survey we’re hoping people will fill out.  It’s quick, easy and anonymous!  So follow this link!  Thank you!!!!

FISHIN’ HOLE SURVEY

Interesting Interviews on Youtube!! February 20, 2009

Sorry this took a while – I’ve added a link to each video in the post for the Sunday we used it.  But I thought some of you might just want to watch them.  They took a couple hours to load EACH – and the quality is very poor compared to what we actually produced.  Not sure what’s up with that.  But they’re watchable, so here you go:

David
 

Abram

Gideon

Israelite

Jacob

Just added pictures! January 26, 2009

I just added some pictures from our service using prayer stations!

If you’re interested, go back to my post:

Wesley’s Covenant Service :: via Prayer Stations

great video! December 23, 2008

Thanks for passing this on, Keith!

Advent Conspiracy November 16, 2008

The Advent Conspiracy
This Christmas season, we’re inviting you to just say NO.

Say no to spending lots of money on stuff that just doesn’t matter.

And here’s your alternative:
For $20 you can buy a water filter that will be given to a family in Nicaragua this summer when RUMC sends a team down to share the love of God and his Living Water. 

When you make your $20 donation, you will get a beautiful Christmas card that will explain the gift that you have purchased – you can send that card to a friend or family member as their Christmas gift.

There is a station set up in the new lobby at RUMC where you can deposit your money (please make checks payable to RUMC with “Advent Conspiracy” in the for section). pick up your Christmas Card & where you can see one of the filter buckets we will distribute.

To find out more about our Advent Conspiracy initiative:
email Kevin & Marjorie Whiteside - RUMCcleanwaterministry@gmail.com

To find out more about the filters themselves and the scope of their affect on this world go to the Potters for Peace website – www.pottersforpeace.org

To find out more about The Advent Conspiracy go to their website – www.adventconspiracy.org

Prayer Requests June 26, 2008

Requests listed here have been turned in at The Water’s Edge, and we have been asked to specifically share them with you.  Please honor that request by lifting these things up to God…

:: Patrick Dodd is at bootcamp – he has lots of life stuff happening in addition to that – pray for him!

:: Two friends of Cody (who joined us last week): Pray for Wes – he’s going into the Marines, and for Brook – she is only 17 and is having surgery to remove some sort of tumor from her brain.

:: Randy Sherrill is home from the hospital and they’re working to make sure the infection doesn’t come back.  His dad passed away last weekend though, so pray for he and his family as they grieve.  

:: From Louise & Keith Kenney: their daughter in law – Michelle Kenney - has been diagnosed with breast cancer.  Her treatments continue.  She travels about an hour away for them and has to spend the night – she also has 2 small children and her husband has to work, so pray they can figure out the logistics of how this will work.   

A cool, free drink of water May 29, 2008

This post came from my friend and fellow minister, Toni… Thanks Toni!

Toni Ruppert
tonir@catt.com

Ok here we go.
I will call this blog…..A cool, free drink of water……
Saturday during the 1890’s day I went to help give out free bottles of water for The Waters Edge. I was bored, kind of bummed out for several reasons and really not expecting too much from it all. As He can do in so many ways, God proved me wrong. First He gave me a great friend to hang with and be silly which lifted my spirits and made me laugh. How about that? God already knew what i needed.
Then we headed up to pass out the water. Tina and “Jesus” were there putting labels on and loading us as fast and they could. As I walked through the crowd, I saw so many different types of people, old, young, preppy, jocks, goth, rich, poor, all colors, shapes and sizes. We would ask “Would you like some cold water?” You could tell they were thinking about it…”Its free” we would say and their faces would light up.
As the day went on, it got really hot, kids were screaming, and you could tell people were maybe down to their last dollar, and “its free” really made their day. They couldn’t thank us enough. I started to notice despite how hot and tired I was, i wanted to give more and more water. I was smiling, laughing, and enjoying every minute. I went back for bottles until it was gone. I felt as if I could give out free, cold water all day.
So isn’t this just like life – you are hot, tired, sweating, down to your last dollar, your kids are screaming, you have a mile to walk to your car – and God’s love is the cool, free drink of water – satisfying that thirst in you like nothing else can?
I wondered too – as I went back for more and more bottles – is this how God feels – the more He gives out the cool, free water and people take it and quench their deep thirsts – the more He wants to go back for more and more bottles of water to give?
Thank you God for the cool, free drink of water You gave me Saturday and every day.
Toni