This past Sunday my sermon (as many others around the Nation) focused on giving thanks. There are just so very many things in our lives that we need to give thanks for that we could not possibly even begin to list them all. Our mighty God provides for and guides us so untiringly and faithfully.
Now by now if you've followed my blog or watched any of my sermons I'm sure you realize that I am not of the persuasion that God causes bad things to happen to anyone. But what I am a firm believer in is that God can gather up the pieces of all the awful things we and others bring into our world and make something good (or great) out of the wreckage. This, however, is often predicated on us being open and willing to see and accept this blessing. One of the things that I think we regularly fail to do is give thanks to a God that is so willing and adept at raising phoenixes out of the ashes of life that we leave behind.
I also believe that we fail all too often to give thanks for a persistent God that never stops tapping us on the shoulder and trying to guide us where we are called to be. Thank you God Almighty, for never giving up on us who try so hard to ignore you and, in fact, run the other way.
In the sermon, I talk about how early in my life (I would have been 23) a minister asked if I had ever considered going to Seminary. At that time, I certainly seemed to be the least likely candidate for such an endeavor. But, I now often sit and wonder, was that God whispering in that old minister's ear... was that God trying to whisper into my ear through that minister's questioning? I am left thanking and praising my God, a God that has never given up on me... even though I certainly wasn't responding.
I hope you enjoy the sermon if you decide to take a listen. Following the video, I have also attached a copy of my meanderings for the December Newsletter.
May this day find you well and richly blessed!
Be a blessing to someone today!
In His Absolute and Unyielding Grace!
Roy
Pastor's Report – December 2015
Well, what a wonderful weekend we just had! We all woke up Saturday morning to snow covered sidewalks, a genuine winter wonderland! I started out scooping the walks in preparation for the God's Portion Sale and eventually Scott DeVries and the Daisy clan showed up to help. Lonnie started up the new snow blower and we made short work of the clean-up.
As most everyone should know by now the God's Portion Sale was a tremendous success! With the proceeds from the lunch included we topped $ 9,000 for the event. What a great turn out! The meal that Donna Westcott prepared was fantastic especially considering all the stress she'd been through with dealing with Clyde's hip surgery just a few days before and only getting back to Lake City the afternoon before the event. I was so very impressed with the Sale, and I am only sorry that Gail wasn't able to be with us, unfortunately on top of the weather she also fell ill the day before and wasn't up to traveling. Thankfully though she will be with us all this coming weekend for the first Sunday of Advent.
I want to thank everyone who donated items to the auction, as well as all those who came and purchased items. It takes both forms of contributions in order to make this a successful event. Special thanks go out to Leon & Judy Hendricks and Clyde & Donna Westcott for agreeing to chair and manage the event. You all did a fabulous job in putting together this wildly successful sale. Thanks especially to Leon for all the hustling about and acquiring donations from local businesses! A thanks to Jeff Frank for assembling the shelves and display for the Sale, Jeff came up and did this all by himself late one night. I still can't believe he was able to pull that off alone, but he did it...
On Sunday, we had a great turn out for both the worship service and Thanksgiving dinner. Thank you to both Brenda and Barb for preparing such a wonderful meal! Thank you also to Linda Potts for getting a birthday cake for me, and a thank you to the entire congregation for all your well wishes and cards for my birthday. You are all the very best and I do so appreciate you all!
The Community Thanksgiving Worship Service was held here at WCC that same afternoon and we had a great attendance there as well. I'm very proud of the way that our membership turns out for these Community Services, we had a great representation at the event this last summer in the Square and we did so again this last weekend. Thank you all! Thank you also to Jodi for setting up snacks for after the service and also for setting up snacks for after the 'Hanging of the Greens' in the Sanctuary. Which we did after our guests from the Community Service had left the Church.
Watching the Sanctuary being converted from its Fall trappings to its full blown Christmas attire was a magical experience. Everyone was like a bunch of little bees going about setting up the decorations in the long tradition of Woodlawn Christian Church. Many of these decorations have been here for many, many years and are a large part of the members experience of this most blessed Holiday Season. What a wonderful thing to become a part of. Thank you to all that helped out, though I could see that it was a labor of love and everyone was enjoying themselves tremendously.
This coming weekend is the first Sunday of Advent, the Sunday when we will be lighting the 'Hope' candle. With all the uncertainty and senseless violence that we see in the World today, perhaps there has been no time in history when we needed to so fully place our 'Hope' in our Lord and Savior. We place our 'Hope' in Christ, and we know that He will provide and guide us and the World through these perilous times. Praise be to God!
Ryan Daisy and Emily Winker are back from school at UNI for this coming weekend and will kick off the Advent season for all of us here at WCC by lighting the candle of 'Hope'. I sincerely, hope that you all will join us in this amazing time in the Church Calendar, the celebration of the Advent season and the expectation of the birth of the Christ-child.
God's Love to you all and remember always to, “be a blessing to someone today!”
Pastor Roy
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