The Beacon INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY on PAGE 9
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FEBRUARY 2020 VOLUME 20, ISSUE 2 The Beacon INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY ON PAGE 9. The Pastor’s Pen Pastor Doug Smith Inside this issue: As I write this article, at best and even ap- God wants us to ask for we are approaching the proached insulting God. those blessings so that we Calendar 2 end of the third year of For to pray for some- might in humility honor our Stewardship Journey. thing that is already with- God and give God the Worship Leader 4 The first year we focused in our grasp is not lean- glory when those bless- on the stewardship of ing on God; it is leaning ings are showered upon us. Christian Education 5 prayer. On that leg of the on our ability to grasp journey we were reminded what we want and then Last year we focused that prayer is the basis of cloaking that acquisition on the stewardship of Deep Thoughts 6 everything we do in the in the garb of God. Pray- presence. This “presence” name of Jesus Christ. ers that honor God are had two main thrusts: 1) Community Information 10 Prayer is the God given prayers that are bold and learning to be present avenue of two way com- that can only be attained with God and 2) learning munication with the God by the bold action of to present ourselves be- of the universe. However, God. We learned that fore God more consist- we also learned that many God does promise us ently. We looked un- of our prayers were weak rich blessings, but that flinchingly at the fact that (Continued on page 3) Prayers please. Please remember the following people with Kim Brugger, Irma Cassel, Roy mother), Sharon Williamson Wayne Wagner, Martha Klein- prayer, cards and visits. Boltz, Landon and Ethan Miller (Phyllis Beahm’s daughter), Greg felter, Earl & Jean Deimler, Mari- Always call before (Braden Landis’ friends), Bob Cassel, Lauren Forte, Toni Ann an Grubb, Peg Holdren (Margie Yohn’s Mom), Ken Kline (Cindy visiting to confirm that Hoffman, Gary and Patty Mase Neiland, Jim Ault, Gaby Santia- go-Grubic, Becky Zellner, Betsy, Blauch’s father), Maria Knauth the individual would like (Judy Kennedy’s brother & sister in law), Timmy Shine (Friend of Karen, and Rick Smeltz, Bob (Dalinda Bohr’s mom), Dolly to be visited. Jeff Kennedy), Sandy Johns Bretherick, Adam Gensamer, Gordon, Tom Pankake, Naomi Please contact the (Cousin of Jeff Kennedy), Bob Denny Alquist, Randy Garrison Stewart, Donna Wolfer, Paula Coleman, Paula Groves, Gerald church office with re- Matthews, Curtis & Sandy O’Bri- Long-term Requests: Pat Brown, Pat Cavanaugh, Scott quests for prayer. en, Bob Shearer, Gail Trow- Dovey (Shawn Lochinger’s Miller. bridge, Pastor Smith and Family, Mom), Jean Myers (Joyce Betty Miller, (Brenda Klinger’s Lochinger’s Mom), Karen Ayers, Page 2 The BEACON VOLUME 20, ISSUE 2 February 2019 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 SPECIAL NOTE: Please call the church office to check on scheduling for a specific date. Everyone must call EVERY SUNDAY MORNING: prior to using any church space. This calendar is print- 8AM Traditional ed a month in advance of its publication. Reservations 9:15AM C.L.I.C.K. change often. 10:30AM WALK 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 5:30-6:30pm BITL 10:00am GH Staff 6:00-10:00pm Volley- 6:00-7:00pm Gym 5:00-9:00pm, Gym Meeting ball League, Gym Meal FH RESERVED RESERVED 6:00-10:00pm Volley- 6:30 Bells Practice, 6:30pm 33, Bal ball League, Gym 301 6:30 Youth, Herit- age Room 6:30pm PC, FH 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 BEACON Articles 9:00am Ladies’ Bible Happy Valentine’s 5:30-6:30pm BITL Due for Next Month 6:00-10:00pm Volley- Study, 201 Day! Meal FH 5:00-9:00pm, Gym ball League, Gym 7:30pm, Partners In 6:30pm 33, Bal RESERVED Missions, Heritage 6:30 Youth, Herit- Room age Room 6:30 Bells Prac, 301 6:30pm PC, FH 6:00-10:00pm Volley- ball League, Gym 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 6:00-10:00pm Volley- 9:00am Ladies’ Bible 5:30-6:30pm BITL Men’s Morning Out ball League, Gym Study, 201 Meal FH Sign up at Wel- 5:00-9:00pm, Gym 6:00-10:00pm Volley- 6:30pm 33, Bal come Center RESERVED ball League, Gym 6:30 Youth, Herit- 6:30 Bells Practice, age Room 301 6:30pm PC, FH 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 11am-4pm Texas 9:00am Ladies’ Bible 5:30-6:30pm BITL Roadhouse Fundrais- 6:00-10:00pm Volley- Study, 201 Meal FH er! Show your flyer ball League, Gym 6:30 Youth, Herit- from Gravel Hill. 6:00-10:00pm Volley- ball League, Gym age Room 5:00-9:00pm, Gym 6:30 Bells Practice, 6:30pm PC, FH RESERVED 301 7:00pm, ASH WEDNESDAY The BEACON VOLUME 20, ISSUE 2 Page 3 I would appreciate your feedback! Please contact me. Pastor’s Pen (Continued) [email protected] (.com will work also) (Continued from page 1) Christ. Peter answered the most conversation has this call, but he did so to do with prayers that versity (formerly Eastern we live on the memories from out of an inner seem to go unanswered. Baptist College) offered a of the past or the hopes control center. Peter fol- Whether those prayers are helpful insight in his of the future in a way that lowed and served Christ, for a clearer sense of ser- book, The Sin of Certain- causes us to not be pre- but it was from his per- vice or whether they have ty. In this scholarly work, sent in the now. If we can- spective of how he felt to do with unanswered Enns reminds us that our not be present with our- that service should be. prayers for the health and difficulty with seemingly selves, we cannot live in Peter’s second and deeper welfare of loved ones. Bat- unanswered prayer has the present with our God. call was to serve Christ as terson addresses this issue more to do with our Hence, we remember when Christ wanted and di- more clearly in Prayer Cir- poor understanding of God acted in the past, or rected that service. The cles: Facing our Greatest scripture than it does we pray hard for God to second and deeper call Challenges where he clear- with God’s inactivity. He act the way we want God included the fact that ly states that our prayers addresses, Ecclesiastes, to act in the future, but service borne out of total do not force God to act. Job, Jeremiah, Psalms 88 we lack a clear vision of submission to the will of Sometimes prayers are not & 89 and Habakkuk. God’s present reality in a Christ meant death as the answered and there is no These texts (which are moment by moment way. outcome. All of us have clear reason why. He rarely preached on) deal If we had that clear vision, received two calls: we points out that it is very specifically with a reality we would be absolutely gladly followed the first hard for us to get our where it seems that all content in our present life, call into salvation and like minds around the fact that the Hebrews had been no matter the circum- Peter, most of us have we do want something out taught about God was at stances. This inability to done so on our own of our relationship with best wrong, and at worst live in the present with terms. The deeper call is the God of the Universe, clearly false. Each of the God gets in the way of more difficult for it but we fail to recognize afore mentioned docu- our ability to present our- means following Christ at we have already received ments offers a blistering selves before God in a his beck and call, not at that benefit: Salvation! Sal- critique of God’s appar- consistent manner. If God our leisure. The church’s vation is the beginning ent mismanagement of or is not a close, present real- voice and witness is weak and end. I realize this does complete failure in the ity, all manner of life pres- today because our ability not satisfy the angst in the world. Essentially, these sures get between us. to live into a deeper call midst of difficulty but this books address the gulf When that happens, every is commensurately weak. gift is greater than any between what the He- life pressure gets more A strong witness will take other thing we could pos- brew people were taught time and attention than a strong commitment to sibly receive! about the way faith God. The stewardship of serve as directed by While this may be the works in the world and presence is the God rein- God’s voice not our de- fundamental truth of our the way it actually plays forced decision to create a sire. relationship with the Di- out. Fear not, these texts better life/faith balance. I am humbled by the vine God, we want heal- actually do offer an an- The current leg of our level of interaction and ing, we want financial se- swer. I am considering Stewardship Journey is the evident desire of curity, we want protection preaching on “When Life calling us to be more many of you to engage against the overt acts of Doesn’t Turn out the mindful of that deeper call this journey in a very evil.