Serve Weekend is Coming

On March 29th, 1:00-5:00, we will be gathering to serve a ministry in our community by cleaning and doing some light decorating in a men's home main bathroom. Gross! Yes, but it is a labor of love for Christ and His followers. So grab your rubber gloves, safety goggles, and great attitudes and we'll see you scrubbing on Saturday! The various tasks will be assigned to volunteers this Wednesday night. We'll clean the kitchen along the way, too, since all of us won't fit in the bathroom at once! Join us after for a wrap-up time at El Buen Gusto and/or on Sunday evening, March 30th at 6:00 for a Serve Weekend pizza celebration at WACC to hear the stories from various projects. Over 100 groups are going serving this weekend -- church services at WACC are cancelled to worship through serving others.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

We started out considering cancelling the gathering, but ended up moving ahead with those in attendance. Rene, Karen, Erica, and Cindi participated. Absentees: Jeff, Glen, and Bob had work. Bly and Lalo were exhausted by the day of work and responsibilities. Tabeth had to pick up her sister at the airport (and will be absent next week with out-of-town sister visiting). Philip Hernandez got home late from Bakersfield, and since it looked like few to none were coming, we told them we'd cancel (oops! sorry for misleading info -- but we thought it was going to cancel).

We read James 2: 1-13 and looked for directions on living the lifestyle of a believer. This is a very direct passage, which was nice. Read it for yourself, if you get a chance, and see if you support our conclusions:

1. Don't show favoritism (v. 1): embrace distinctions in the body of Christ, affirm unity, and have equal respect and appreciation for persons. We discussed how discrimination differs from discernment. Karen shared some from a book she is reading, Reconciliation Blues, as part of the diversity committee at Biola in which she participates. We commented that this is subtle when one is guilty but blatant when one is victim. We agreed that churches can do better in this area -- that we can do better as part of the church. We talked briefly about cultural influences that complicate our sensitivities to this issue.

2. Love your neighbor as yourself (v. 8): 'nuff said. Again, no room for partiality.

3. Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom...judgement without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful (v.12): Yikes! Practice that mercy. We've been put on notice.

Again, we see in this passage: "Thus, the Gospel offer of salvation by faith includes more than a pardon, it also includes a transformation. God will declare the sinner righteous, and then God will act to make the sinner what God declared him to be." [Teacher's Commentary p. 1023]

We each shared something we could apply tonight's scripture to in living differently this week. Then each one prayed for another's situation. Nice evening. Done at 8:10pm.

We missed everyone! Hope your evenings all went well. Great to be together last Sunday. Dig deep in God's word and live differently this week.

The Shack

Welcome back. You are appreciated here!

What takes most of us a life time, Mac learn in a special encounter on a weekend at "the shack." Grace, forgiveness, eternity are all wrapped up in the experiences that he has with "Papa." It's a quick read and worth the time invested. I'd love to hear what you think. Leave a comment if you've read it.

On being right, Anne Lamott

I think joy and sweetness and affection are a spiritual path. We're here to know God, to love and serve God, and to be blown away by the beauty and miracle of nature. You just have to get rid of so much baggage to be light enough to dance, to sing, to play. You don't have time to carry grudges; you don't have time to cling to the need to be right.

- author Anne Lamott, in a recent interview. (Source: The Washington Times)

Project Serve #1: Room Make-over

Our March Serve Weekend is coming up. Our first project is defined below.

We are confirmed to do a simple room-makeover for Come to Him Ministries, their Whittier house.

Date: Saturday, March 29, 2008
Time: TBA (probably afternoon like 1:00-5:00?)
Details: We are tasked to spruce up a room in the house. We will be supplying the items needed.
Steps:

• Anyone interested in surveying the home during the day during the week of March 17-22 to select a project? Please contact Cindi. Many of you are not available during the day, so Cindi may go with Kay, pick a room, take digital pictures, and then talk details.
• If you can help with ideas and share decorating talent, please help make choices and determine specifics.
• If you are decent at measurements, and it is determined that we need some in advance, we'll call on you! Let Cindi know.
• If you can help with any shopping or gathering of materials needed prior to the project date.
• We need many to help with the physical labor involved. Your children can be included, as appropriate.
• If you are interested in helping fund purchases, let Cindi know.

March Communion Feast

This weekend! Our March Communion Feast will be at 2:00pm...a late lunch on Sunday, March 9th, at the Petersons. Pick up something you'd enjoy for lunch, bring it on over, and we'll place it all on the counter and create a buffet of surprise lunch eats.

In honor of the unity of the body of Christ, we will celebrate and share the bread and the drink to remember Christ's death in fulfillment of our reconciliation and look forward to His return.