Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Devotional- borrowed from Kim's CaringBridge Journal
"Expect to encounter adversity in your life, remembering that you live in a deeply fallen world. Stop trying to find a way that circumvents difficulties. The main problem with an easy life is that it masks your need for Me. Anticipate coming face to face with impossibilities: situations totally beyond your ability to handle. When you see armies of problems marching toward you, cry out to Me! Allow Me to fight for you. Watch Me working on your behalf, as you rest in the shadow of My Almighty Presence."
This Evening
IYM Quakers
Session Five
Spiritual Worship
Experiencing the Presence in the Midst
Worship in Spirit and Truth
Led by the Spirit, Not by the People
Doug Shoemaker
Wednesday, August 31, 6:30 pm
Hinkle Creek Friends
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
NEED YOUR HELP
As many of you know, I'm planning and putting together the museum in the back room behind the pulpit. I would like to have an area with pictures of some of our "Friends" who have gone to be with the Lord that influenced many of older ones throughout the years. Many of these people made Hinkle what it is today. If you have relatives, grandparents, husbands, wives, former Pastors pictures that I could borrow, I would greatly appreciate it. Just a few that come to my mind is Roy and Gladys Wood, Ralph and Mary Emily Wood, Kenny Stewart, Walter and Ada McConnell, Clifford and Edna Williams, Sol & Lissie Williams, Bill Gunn, Fred and Joyce Wood, Leland and Mae Carson, John and Nadine McConnell, Marty Cammack, Patty Butcher, Hal Wallace, Jake and Iolene Blasser, Ruth Beauchamp, Mary Hiatt, Ethyl Horny, Martha Barnes and her family, Beryl & Amy Baliff and other Baliff family members, and many others that I'm sure I haven't listed here. If you think of someone and know of a way to get their picture, I would be so greatful. I feel like it would be nice to recognize these "Friends" that contributed so much to Hinkle's history.
Woody Wright
This is a beautiful tribute to Woody's Mother in Law, Maria. As you can see he loved her very much. This is very touching and obviously a labor of love.
Reminder
Tomorrow
Wednesday, August 31
6:30 PM
Doug Shoemaker will speak at
Hinkle Creek Friends
This is a wonderful opportunity for all of us
to learn more about Quakerism, Christianity and ourselves.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Thank year dear lord for this gift.
David Alexander-
Sixteen years ago today you were born,
my life was changed completely.
How could one tiny child transform my world
oh, so sweetly?
You brought back my childhood,
brought out the child in me
and gave me fresh perspective
on lifes priorities.
The world became brand new again
as I saw it through your eye
and I learned to value each new day
as a gift full of surprise.
I know the life of an only child
is not always filled with ease.
You have had share in some of my life sorrow and but yet your life gave me the strength
and yet, no matter what life brings,
you take it all in stride.
The strength of character you show
fills my heart with pride.
I never knew just how much love
a child would stir in me,
but in his grace the father saw
and recognized my need.
For I was given just a taste
of perfect love, it is true,
when God in all his mercy,
chose to bless my life with you.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Donation Request - New or Gently Used Childrens Books
I am working with a small group of people to help reach a goal of 1,000 children's books new or gently used to be donated to the Riley Children's Hospital Library. The request has been given to a dear friend of mine and I wanted to reach out to see if anyone would have any books to donate. As you all know I have a very special place in my heart for this hospital. I grew up in the halls of this place with my family for my very sick little sister for 18 years. And the little library was a santuary for myself and my other little sister. We would spend hours in that little library reading. And many of you might not know but Tim had quite a few heart surgeries as well as a child and they were so good to him and his family.
If you are interested in donating any books I can take them on Sunday's at church and make sure they are given to the group that is collecting them.
Love and appreciation,
Heather
If you are interested in donating any books I can take them on Sunday's at church and make sure they are given to the group that is collecting them.
Love and appreciation,
Heather
I Smile
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US#/watch?v=9WFGWLRR9pA
I dedicate this song to recession,
depression and unemployment.
This song’s for you.
Today’s a new day, but there is no sunshine.
Nothing but clouds, and it’s dark in my heart
and it feels like a cold night.
Today’s a new day, but where are my blue skies.
Where is the love and the joy that you promised me
tell me it’s alright.
(I’ll be honest with you)
I almost gave up, but a power that I can’t explain,
fell from heaven like a shower now.
(When I think how much better I’m gonna be when this is over)
[ Lyrics from http://www.songonlyrics.com/kirk-franklin-i-smile-lyrics ]
I smile, even though I hurt see I smile,
I know God is working so I smile,
Even though I’ve been here for a while
I smile, smile..
It’s so hard to look up when you look down.
Sure would hate to see you give up now.
You look so much better when you smile, so smile.
Today’s a new day, but there is no sunshine.
Nothing but clouds, and it’s dark in my heart
and it feels like a cold night.
Today’s a new day, but tell me where are my blue skies,
where is the love and the joy that you promised me
tell me it’s – alright.
(the truth is)
I almost gave up, but a power that I can’t explain
fell from heaven like a shower now.
I smile, even though I’m hurt see I smile,
I know God is working so I smile,
Even though I’ve been here for a while
I smile, smile.
It’s so hard to look up when you look down.
Sure would hate to see you give up now
You look so much better when you smile.
Smile.. for me
Can you just smile… for me.
Smile.. for me
Can you just smile… for me.
I dedicate this song to recession,
depression and unemployment.
This song’s for you.
Today’s a new day, but there is no sunshine.
Nothing but clouds, and it’s dark in my heart
and it feels like a cold night.
Today’s a new day, but where are my blue skies.
Where is the love and the joy that you promised me
tell me it’s alright.
(I’ll be honest with you)
I almost gave up, but a power that I can’t explain,
fell from heaven like a shower now.
(When I think how much better I’m gonna be when this is over)
[ Lyrics from http://www.songonlyrics.com/kirk-franklin-i-smile-lyrics ]
I smile, even though I hurt see I smile,
I know God is working so I smile,
Even though I’ve been here for a while
I smile, smile..
It’s so hard to look up when you look down.
Sure would hate to see you give up now.
You look so much better when you smile, so smile.
Today’s a new day, but there is no sunshine.
Nothing but clouds, and it’s dark in my heart
and it feels like a cold night.
Today’s a new day, but tell me where are my blue skies,
where is the love and the joy that you promised me
tell me it’s – alright.
(the truth is)
I almost gave up, but a power that I can’t explain
fell from heaven like a shower now.
I smile, even though I’m hurt see I smile,
I know God is working so I smile,
Even though I’ve been here for a while
I smile, smile.
It’s so hard to look up when you look down.
Sure would hate to see you give up now
You look so much better when you smile.
Smile.. for me
Can you just smile… for me.
Smile.. for me
Can you just smile… for me.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Equality
Our series of Wednesday night meetings with Doug Shoemaker continued last night. The subject was equality. Similar to the peace testimony, the idea that all men are created equal seems to be a given. Of course we believe in peace and equality, but what does that really mean to us and how can we best articulate and convey these ideas? We found out, or I did, that it's just not so easy to do. When you start digging deeper you begin to see the complexity and then the confusion that usually follows. Sometimes we think we believe one way but upon further examination we find out we have emotions connected to these ideas that we never even knew were there. We talked about equality between the sexes and race relations and although Doug is a stickler for keeping a tight schedule, this was the first discussion he let run over the allotted hour. I believe he sensed that further attention needed to be given to the subject and allowed us a little more time to work through our ideas and feelings.
Like anything else we do in our lives, our spiritual walk is one that needs time and attention in order to develop and grow. We must practice our religion. I feel like these Wednesday night meetings have really given me new insight into what I believe and why. Even though many times we raise more questions than we answer, it is still is a worthwhile endeavor. In this busy world we don't always take the time to have these discussions and we often assume too much. It is difficult to talk about certain subjects because they may be touchy an we want to be careful with our words so as not to be misunderstood. But is anything really worthwhile ever really easy? Like raising a child or planting a garden, it's a process.
As always, Doug based his discussion on Biblical principals and left us with the clear understanding that if you do have a concern and that concern turns into strong negative feelings then you are headed in dangerous direction. (I think it was Bob that said that) We believe that Gods spirit is poured out on ALL people and that we shall not call ANY man or woman impure or unclean. And while all of our opinions may not be equal, or value is. We all have great potential and our spiritual capacity is equal. God calls you when you call out to him. When you see others through the heart of love that God has given you, the world looks like a very different place.This world is a spiritually hungry and thirsty place, and as disciples of Christ we are his hands and feet. Nothing should bring us more joy than sharing Gods love with others. And in order to do that we have to first find his love within us, we must nurture it and develop it, practice it and then we don't even have to display it. That part just happens. And that is the beautiful part of being a Christian, when his light shines through you because of all of the inner work you have done. Our God is so faithful, yet every time he comes through my joy is always overflowing.
Like anything else we do in our lives, our spiritual walk is one that needs time and attention in order to develop and grow. We must practice our religion. I feel like these Wednesday night meetings have really given me new insight into what I believe and why. Even though many times we raise more questions than we answer, it is still is a worthwhile endeavor. In this busy world we don't always take the time to have these discussions and we often assume too much. It is difficult to talk about certain subjects because they may be touchy an we want to be careful with our words so as not to be misunderstood. But is anything really worthwhile ever really easy? Like raising a child or planting a garden, it's a process.
As always, Doug based his discussion on Biblical principals and left us with the clear understanding that if you do have a concern and that concern turns into strong negative feelings then you are headed in dangerous direction. (I think it was Bob that said that) We believe that Gods spirit is poured out on ALL people and that we shall not call ANY man or woman impure or unclean. And while all of our opinions may not be equal, or value is. We all have great potential and our spiritual capacity is equal. God calls you when you call out to him. When you see others through the heart of love that God has given you, the world looks like a very different place.This world is a spiritually hungry and thirsty place, and as disciples of Christ we are his hands and feet. Nothing should bring us more joy than sharing Gods love with others. And in order to do that we have to first find his love within us, we must nurture it and develop it, practice it and then we don't even have to display it. That part just happens. And that is the beautiful part of being a Christian, when his light shines through you because of all of the inner work you have done. Our God is so faithful, yet every time he comes through my joy is always overflowing.
Inspiring Christian Quotes...
"Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" John 11:40
"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen. Not only because I see it, but because I see everything by it." ~ C.S. Lewis
"Instead of complaining that God had hidden himself, you will give Him thanks for having revealed so much of Himself." ~ Blaise Pascal
"All the blessings we enjoy are Divine deposits, committed to our trust on this condition, that they should be dispensed for the benefit of our neighbors." ~ John Calvin
"He alone can believe in immortality who feels the resurrection in him already." ~ Frederick W. Robertson
"I would rather walk with God in the dark than go alone in the light."
~ Mary Gardiner Brainard
"The Christian cannot be satisfied so long as any human activity is either opposed to Christianity or out of connection with Christianity. Christianity must pervade not merely all nations but also all of human thought."
~ J. Gresham Machen
"For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation." Luke 1:49-50
"The greatest single distinguishing feature of the omnipotence of God is that our imagination gets lost thinking about it." ~ Blaise Pascal
"Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest." Revelation 15:4
"True godliness does not turn men out of the world, but enables them to live better in it and excites their endeavors to mend it."
~ William Penn
"Love and pity and wish well to every soul in the world; dwell in love, and then you dwell in God." ~ William Law
"Look around in the world, and you may see some in every place who are objects of pity, bereaved by sad accidents of all the comforts of life, while in the meantime Providence has tenderly preserved you."
~ John Flavel
"But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." James 1:25
When I say I am a Christian
When I say that 'I am a Christian', I am not shouting that 'I am clean living. I'm whispering 'I was lost, but now I'm found and forgiven.'
When I say 'I am a Christian', I don't speak of this with pride. I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.
When I say 'I am a Christian', I'm not trying to be strong. I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.
When I say 'I am a Christian', I'm not bragging of success. I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.
When I say 'I am a Christian', I'm not claiming to be perfect. My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I am worth it.
When I say 'I am a Christian', I still feel the sting of pain. I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.
When I say 'I am a Christian', I'm not holier than thou, I'm just a simple sinner who received God's good grace, somehow!
Today is Beautiful Christian Person's Day.
Pretty is as Pretty does but, Beautiful is just plain Beautiful..
When I say 'I am a Christian', I don't speak of this with pride. I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.
When I say 'I am a Christian', I'm not trying to be strong. I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.
When I say 'I am a Christian', I'm not bragging of success. I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.
When I say 'I am a Christian', I'm not claiming to be perfect. My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I am worth it.
When I say 'I am a Christian', I still feel the sting of pain. I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.
When I say 'I am a Christian', I'm not holier than thou, I'm just a simple sinner who received God's good grace, somehow!
Today is Beautiful Christian Person's Day.
Pretty is as Pretty does but, Beautiful is just plain Beautiful..
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
WRCC Food Pantry Report-submitted by Trish
We had a whopping 128 families including 5 new ones. We had 28 volunteers on Tuesday which was wonderful but only 34 on Thursday. We really need more volunteers on Thursdays especially from 5-6pm. We are desperately in need of at 2 volunteers for our kids room. We need someone who loves children and would like to read a story or supervise a movie time with the kids. There are many kids in and out and we really need some adult supervision. If you are thinking about volunteering, please let me know.
We were happy to be able to give out many refrigerated items including 1/2 gallon milk, a meat item, frozen spinach or yogurt. Many families got a Little Ceasers pizza. In addition to their groceries and bread and sweets, each family received 5# flour and many got fresh tomatoes.
Our most needed items this week are canned meats, peanut butter and jelly, canned corn, cereal, oatmeal, poptarts, pancake mix and syrup, fruit juices, shampoo and conditioner (we would like to have 1 shampoo and conditioner for each family this week.)
Thanks Dawn for making grilled cheese sandwiches all summer. This past week 130 were made. This will be the last week now that school is in session.
bLESSINGS,
Kim DeMasie
We were happy to be able to give out many refrigerated items including 1/2 gallon milk, a meat item, frozen spinach or yogurt. Many families got a Little Ceasers pizza. In addition to their groceries and bread and sweets, each family received 5# flour and many got fresh tomatoes.
Our most needed items this week are canned meats, peanut butter and jelly, canned corn, cereal, oatmeal, poptarts, pancake mix and syrup, fruit juices, shampoo and conditioner (we would like to have 1 shampoo and conditioner for each family this week.)
Thanks Dawn for making grilled cheese sandwiches all summer. This past week 130 were made. This will be the last week now that school is in session.
bLESSINGS,
Kim DeMasie
Monthly Meeting~BREAKFAST
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
carry-in ~ FELLOWSHIP BREAKFAST ~ 9:30am
MONTHLY MEETING ~ IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING WORSHIP
If you are the Chairman of a Committee
remember to meet with your committee
before September 11th.
Please bring a written report to Monthly Meeting to give to the Clerk.
~Thank you!~
Reminder
Doug Shoemaker is speaking this evening at
Hinkle Creek Friends at 6:30pm.
The topic this evening is Equality.
The discussion will last about one hour with light refreshments and fellowship immediately following.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
GREAT NEWS!!!!
I just received the following email from Doug Shoemaker and wanted to let you know about it. A HUGE thanks to Marianne Isaacs for her hard work with letters and calls to Western Yearly Meeting to see this through!
Bob,
We received a check from Western Yearly Meeting today for $14,816.26, a transfer of the entire Beryl Baliff fund from Western Yearly Meeting to Indiana Yearly Meeting. We will be adding this to the IYM endowment that is managed by Wells Fargo Bank in Fort Wayne and under the oversight of the IYM Investment Board. We generally make bi-annual lump sums distributions from our endowment and distribute it proportionally. You can expect to receive your first distribution check from us in July 2012 and then every six months. Let me know if you have any questions.
I’m copying Don Wright, clerk of our Investment Board, with this email. Don, maybe we can list this amount as “Hinkle Creek Baliff Fund” on our records. The purpose of this fund was to enable Hinkle Creek to pay yearly meeting assessments. We will distribute the funds directly to Hinkle Creek and they will then be responsible for using if for the designated purpose.
Doug
Bob,
We received a check from Western Yearly Meeting today for $14,816.26, a transfer of the entire Beryl Baliff fund from Western Yearly Meeting to Indiana Yearly Meeting. We will be adding this to the IYM endowment that is managed by Wells Fargo Bank in Fort Wayne and under the oversight of the IYM Investment Board. We generally make bi-annual lump sums distributions from our endowment and distribute it proportionally. You can expect to receive your first distribution check from us in July 2012 and then every six months. Let me know if you have any questions.
I’m copying Don Wright, clerk of our Investment Board, with this email. Don, maybe we can list this amount as “Hinkle Creek Baliff Fund” on our records. The purpose of this fund was to enable Hinkle Creek to pay yearly meeting assessments. We will distribute the funds directly to Hinkle Creek and they will then be responsible for using if for the designated purpose.
Doug
Friday, August 19, 2011
Please pray for Kim today!
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kimdemasie/journal
Link above is to Kim DeMasie's CaringBridge sight. She has round three of 8 chemo treatments today. Kim will inspire you with her beautiful spirit and strong faith.
thank you,
Kelly
Link above is to Kim DeMasie's CaringBridge sight. She has round three of 8 chemo treatments today. Kim will inspire you with her beautiful spirit and strong faith.
thank you,
Kelly
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Quaker Peace Testimony
Last night Doug spoke about the Quaker Peace Testimony. It was a very interesting topic and it caused everyone to think hard about what this testimony means and how it affects all of us so differently.
Doug said, "Not all peacemakers are Christians, but all Christians should be peacemakers." We all agreed that while it is a struggle, it's worth the struggle to try come to terms with this timeless principle. Personal, deep reflection is required of those who desire to know their hearts.
Doug asked us "How do you take the whole council of God and find answers?" We all seem to draw our line in the sand in different places. Some of us would never own a gun. Some of us said we would fight if provoked. But we all realized , I think, that it is complicated and it is personal and we can only look within ourselves to find what we ourselves are comfortable with. One never knows what life may bring and how one might react. But it is important to think about the peace testimony and put it into proper perspective with what is our essential belief in Christ. We must embrace Christ's message and live at peace with everyone whenever we can. Doug reminded us that this is a clear call from scripture.
So the question remains, "How do we carry out the peace testimony?" We talked about WWII, William Penn's Holy Experiment, slavery and the Civil War. "How do you stand up for one brother without harming another?" It's just not as simple as we might like to think it is. We talked about defending your Country, defending youtr family or your faith. How far is to far, and how do you know?
It is very interesting and a very deep and troubling subject. It's hard to think about these things because it can be uncomfortable and upsetting. But I think, in the end we all clearly understood that as Quakers we are Christians at heart and that being a peacemaker naturally follows that calling.
Doug said, "Not all peacemakers are Christians, but all Christians should be peacemakers." We all agreed that while it is a struggle, it's worth the struggle to try come to terms with this timeless principle. Personal, deep reflection is required of those who desire to know their hearts.
Doug asked us "How do you take the whole council of God and find answers?" We all seem to draw our line in the sand in different places. Some of us would never own a gun. Some of us said we would fight if provoked. But we all realized , I think, that it is complicated and it is personal and we can only look within ourselves to find what we ourselves are comfortable with. One never knows what life may bring and how one might react. But it is important to think about the peace testimony and put it into proper perspective with what is our essential belief in Christ. We must embrace Christ's message and live at peace with everyone whenever we can. Doug reminded us that this is a clear call from scripture.
So the question remains, "How do we carry out the peace testimony?" We talked about WWII, William Penn's Holy Experiment, slavery and the Civil War. "How do you stand up for one brother without harming another?" It's just not as simple as we might like to think it is. We talked about defending your Country, defending youtr family or your faith. How far is to far, and how do you know?
It is very interesting and a very deep and troubling subject. It's hard to think about these things because it can be uncomfortable and upsetting. But I think, in the end we all clearly understood that as Quakers we are Christians at heart and that being a peacemaker naturally follows that calling.
Tickets now on sale
HINKLE CREEK FRIENDS
175th Homecoming Celebration
Saturday, October 15th ~ 5:00pm
Woody & Vonnie Wright
with very special guests
Mike Haemmerle and Jeff VanWinkle
TICKETS 10$
21617 Hinkle Rd. Noblesville, IN 46062 ~ 317-691-2329
WWW.HINKLECREEKFRIENDS.ORG
dessert reception immediately following ~ featuring
Dan’s Famous Pies and Alexander’s Ice Cream
Thank you to Alexander’s for their donation.
WWW.ALEXANDERSICECREAM.COM
Saturday Night in Arcadia
The Hedgehog Presents
Direct from the Indiana State Fair Pioneer Village
WLS National Barn Dance Tribute Show
MYRA DWORSKI and JON HALL
Sat., August 20, 2011
8:00 pm
Myra and Jon reprised their portrayal of Lulubelle and Scotty at the State Fair
this year. Their acoustic folk music and pleasant vocal blend is sure to capture
your attention. Don't miss these two performers at their best in the smoke-free,
alcohol-free environment of the Hedgehog.
Don't forget, bring a first-time visitor with you, and your own admission is free.
Ten dollars otherwise.
Saturday, August 27 Country Jazz Caravan is Back
Featuring Jesse Rhodes and Harry Davis
SISTER CHURCH
We approved at Monthly Meeting to become a Sister Church to Anderson Friends. This is a program initiated by Indiana Yearly Meeting. Not sure what all we will be doing together, but we have already had a good start. Michaela and Elissa went to the State Fair and helped Anderson Friends dip ice cream and had such a good time and we received an email praising these two girls for their hard work and dedication. Now, we have been invited to their Church this Saturday for a "Water Day" which is a lot of fun for all who want to get wet!! What a great time for our youth to get acquainted with their youth. This takes place this Saturday from 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. with lunch and drinks provided. I'm planning to go to see what this is all about. Have to admit - I don't like to get wet, so I may stand back and just observe! LOL! If you want to go, let me know and we can ride over together. The address of the Church is 2233 S. Central Way, Anderson. Thier phone number is 765-643-2724. If you need directions, give me a call and I'll explain. It's very easy to get there!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
EJoka! Nia Jokan. (Hi! How are you? - Turkana dialect)
 |
| John Moru ,Pastor-in-charge of Turkana Friends Mission in northern Kenya |
 | ||
| John Muhanji, African Ministries Director |
Last evening Westfield Friends was visited by John Moru and John Muhanji. They gave first hand reports on the Friends Ministry in Africa.
John Moru spoke first. He set the stage by describing the village of Turkana located in Northern Kenya, for us. He used a slide show with photographs from his home to illustrate his stories. He said that Turkana is going through a drought and subsequent famine. Just last March water was reached in the well-drilling efforts financed by donors in response to the 2010 FUM Summer Mission Project: see link below~
http://fum.org/about/news/BreakingNewsinTurkana.htm
The landscape of Tukana is dry, sandy and arid and Lake Turkana is a salt water lake so they cannot drink the water but they do fish there. Turkana is full of thorn trees, camels, donkeys, goats and termite hills.
John is a soft spoken man who can speak twelve languages. He is married and has two adopted children.
John says that he believes that in this life you can choose between two paths. The wide or the narrow. He says he has chosen the narrow because it leads somewhere.
John has a vision and has asked for prayer. He wants to expand the outreach of the Friends Mission in Turkana to Sudan, as he knows the need there is great. He is excited to help teach children to read and write, and to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
He showed beautiful pictures of the women during worship and they were singing and clapping their hands. He says that when they clap their hands it helps them to feel the spirit of God.
Johns message is one of challenging Christians to wake up and rise up. With a mission to bring hope to the hopeless. He believes that a church that sends members into the mission field is a church that grows. He invites any Christians who feel led to come to Africa and serve on the mission field and your life will be forever changed. He believes it is not enough to just send your money, but that we must build relationships together in order to understand one another. John also placed an emphasis on reaching out to other tribes in Africa and that in order to do that Leadership Training is essential.
John told a story about how he had visited a village deep in the Jungle and began preachng the Gospel to them and they had never heard but were thirsty for God. He stood on the roof of his truck and spoke of Gods love for them for twenty minutes and had drawn quite a crowd and even did an alter call. He said that it broke his heart because when he left he had no one to leave behind to carry on the work there.
John senses that people in the church in America can become easily bored or discouraged and he emplores us to open our eyes to the possibilities of coming together with all of our resources, meaning all of the other Christians, all of the other Meetings, and make a difference in this world by sharing with the world the love that is in our hearts through Christ. He believes that throwing money at a problem will not be enough but that their needs to be fellowship and teamwork in order for Gods love to prevail.
John says that we need to free our hearts and become bold in our faith and proclaim our beliefs to the world in order to share the joy that walking with Christ brings. He sees that in America Christians have become fearful of speaking about Jesus. He called America a sleeping Giant and asked us to please see beyond where we see.
Mercy, Not Sacrifice
I opened my bible this morning read some scripture. And its amazing when you plan to just one scripture it can easily lead to so muchmore. Well an hour later I seen that God wanted me to study more.
My Scripture that I read was: Matthew 9:13
But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.
After reading this again I kept thinking? God desires mercy more than me sacrificing? I went back to read it again and a little more.
“As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him. Now it happened as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” - Matt 9: 9-13.
Isn't the short exchange of words between the Pharisees, the disciples and Jesus one of the most profound small events to occur; yet the importance of Jesus’ words isn’t fully realized by much of the Christian world. What do these few sentences say about the true meaning of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ?
This is a testament to Jesus’ great love for the ordinary man. He was making a point that the Kingdom of Heaven is open to all people including the un-churched, those who were not religiously pious, and even those who are considered morally corrupt…“sinners”.
I did a little research on Matthew first. Also known as Levi in the Gospels of Luke and Mark, he was a tax collector. Collecting taxes for the Roman government. Tax collectors were seen as traitors since the Romans were viewed as oppressors. They were also despised for inflating the taxes and stealing for themselves. Either way…not a group of people that were much liked or trusted. Matthew is gracious enough to have a feast for Jesus and his disciples in his home, inviting his own friends. Because of Jesus’ miracles and teachings, all sorts of people followed Him wherever He went, curious about what He might say or do next. And because Jesus had such authority, the Pharisees also kept an eye on Him. His mass appeal was a threat to the religious control that the Pharisees had.
So what about the Pharisees?
Well, though much is said about Pharisees, they were not originally such a bad bunch of guys. Pharisees wanted to serve God, following all the laws and commandments to the letter. They wanted to be sure that God’s truths were understood and obeyed. Their intentions were good. And because they wanted to do everything correctly, their desire to serve God turned into absolute perfectionism. They obeyed all Jewish laws of cleanliness, sacrifice and obedience for God. The life of a Pharisee was a life of sacrifice and servitude. They were the examples of how to serve God.
But something always goes wrong with this type of living. Right?
When one strives for perfection…then one also rejects imperfection. So what happens is, because of this sense of looking out for imperfection, one also sees imperfection in people. And imperfection somehow turns into sin, and people who commit such acts become “sinners”. Not a good thing. And because they had sacrificed so much for God, they naturally became PROUD of themselves and set themselves apart from others…from “sinners”.
So here we have the Pharisees, who recognize Jesus’ authority and His connection to God, but they wrongly believe that Jesus must be striving for the same perfection as they are…but they then see Jesus dining with people of imperfection, the unclean…something they have taught themselves to AVOID. Why would Jesus hang out with “sinners” instead of the company of the Pharisees who’s lives were given to serving God? You see it seems the Pharisees would NEVER dine with sinners at the same table, but here Jesus was talking, eating and drinking with them. Naturally they are perplexed.
“Why is your teacher dining with tax collectors and sinners?”
It is the Pharisees who use the word “sinners” to refer to the unclean people that Jesus was being honored by. I suppose today someone might ask a Christian, “Why is Jesus dining with scam artists, prostitutes, drug addicts and homosexuals?”
And what about the disciples? They didn’t have a chance to answer the Pharisees, because Jesus cut into the conversation and answered for them. Why? Because it is Jesus who is making the decision to dine with them. Jesus is stating His position…not someone else speaking for Jesus.
“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.”
Referring to the need for spiritual healing of mankind.
This is Jesus’ decision to fellowship with all people regardless of who they are. It is Jesus who is including us and all people into His Kingdom! Jesus is speaking up to the religious world and saying…people whom you are excluding because you think they are “sinners”…I AM WELCOMING. And Jesus uses the word “sinners” back to the Pharisees so they will continue to believe that they are the righteous ones. Later rebukes and parables show He doesn’t consider the Pharisees righteous at all.
Now notice this little remark Jesus says to the Pharisees: “But go and learn what this means:” Why did Jesus say this? Because Jesus knows all about the Pharisees. That was their thing! Debating, analyzing, arguing, dissecting, trying to get the exact meaning of every word in the Scripture. Yet they couldn't recognize COMPASSION because their hearts were empty! He is basically saying, “Go off and study, have your meetings, discussions and debates and try to figure what LOVE is all about.” Jesus knew they would NEVER GET IT, because love, compassion and mercy CANNOT be learned by studying but only by each person's experience of pain, rejection, struggle and suffering. It is a HEART MATTER.
Jesus continues,‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Jesus is referring to Hosea 6:6 which says:
“For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”
The Pharisees taught themselves that serving God was all about performing rituals, sacrificing burnt offerings and keeping traditions. Yet see at how God feels about all of this done...without love.
“I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
I will have no regard for them.” Amos 5:21-22
And Isaiah 1
“The multitude of your sacrifices— what are they to me?” says the LORD. “I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations— I cannot bear your worthless assemblies. Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals I hate with all my being.
They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.
When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood! Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong.” Isaiah 1:11-16
Now see in the next verse which tell what God REALLY desires:
“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” Isaiah 1:17
Serving God is not about self sacrifice to gain God's approval, but about loving, serving and caring for OTHERS.
And Jesus was saying that the self-righteousness of the Pharisees and their judgment of the tax collectors, sinners …ordinary people…was wrong.
Jesus is telling us that it is a SIN to view ANYONE with contempt and that the kingdom of God is about JUSTICE, MERCY, COMPASSION and LOVE for ALL His people. The Gospel is an invitation to everyone no matter who they are...to come back to God. WE are the sinners who need a physician. It is NOT about living a perfect life of sacrifice and denial, but about ALL of us coming together to love God and love, serve and care for each other.
Are you a representative of Mercy or Sacrifice?
My Scripture that I read was: Matthew 9:13
But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.
After reading this again I kept thinking? God desires mercy more than me sacrificing? I went back to read it again and a little more.
“As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him. Now it happened as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” - Matt 9: 9-13.
Isn't the short exchange of words between the Pharisees, the disciples and Jesus one of the most profound small events to occur; yet the importance of Jesus’ words isn’t fully realized by much of the Christian world. What do these few sentences say about the true meaning of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ?
This is a testament to Jesus’ great love for the ordinary man. He was making a point that the Kingdom of Heaven is open to all people including the un-churched, those who were not religiously pious, and even those who are considered morally corrupt…“sinners”.
I did a little research on Matthew first. Also known as Levi in the Gospels of Luke and Mark, he was a tax collector. Collecting taxes for the Roman government. Tax collectors were seen as traitors since the Romans were viewed as oppressors. They were also despised for inflating the taxes and stealing for themselves. Either way…not a group of people that were much liked or trusted. Matthew is gracious enough to have a feast for Jesus and his disciples in his home, inviting his own friends. Because of Jesus’ miracles and teachings, all sorts of people followed Him wherever He went, curious about what He might say or do next. And because Jesus had such authority, the Pharisees also kept an eye on Him. His mass appeal was a threat to the religious control that the Pharisees had.
So what about the Pharisees?
Well, though much is said about Pharisees, they were not originally such a bad bunch of guys. Pharisees wanted to serve God, following all the laws and commandments to the letter. They wanted to be sure that God’s truths were understood and obeyed. Their intentions were good. And because they wanted to do everything correctly, their desire to serve God turned into absolute perfectionism. They obeyed all Jewish laws of cleanliness, sacrifice and obedience for God. The life of a Pharisee was a life of sacrifice and servitude. They were the examples of how to serve God.
But something always goes wrong with this type of living. Right?
When one strives for perfection…then one also rejects imperfection. So what happens is, because of this sense of looking out for imperfection, one also sees imperfection in people. And imperfection somehow turns into sin, and people who commit such acts become “sinners”. Not a good thing. And because they had sacrificed so much for God, they naturally became PROUD of themselves and set themselves apart from others…from “sinners”.
So here we have the Pharisees, who recognize Jesus’ authority and His connection to God, but they wrongly believe that Jesus must be striving for the same perfection as they are…but they then see Jesus dining with people of imperfection, the unclean…something they have taught themselves to AVOID. Why would Jesus hang out with “sinners” instead of the company of the Pharisees who’s lives were given to serving God? You see it seems the Pharisees would NEVER dine with sinners at the same table, but here Jesus was talking, eating and drinking with them. Naturally they are perplexed.
“Why is your teacher dining with tax collectors and sinners?”
It is the Pharisees who use the word “sinners” to refer to the unclean people that Jesus was being honored by. I suppose today someone might ask a Christian, “Why is Jesus dining with scam artists, prostitutes, drug addicts and homosexuals?”
And what about the disciples? They didn’t have a chance to answer the Pharisees, because Jesus cut into the conversation and answered for them. Why? Because it is Jesus who is making the decision to dine with them. Jesus is stating His position…not someone else speaking for Jesus.
“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.”
Referring to the need for spiritual healing of mankind.
This is Jesus’ decision to fellowship with all people regardless of who they are. It is Jesus who is including us and all people into His Kingdom! Jesus is speaking up to the religious world and saying…people whom you are excluding because you think they are “sinners”…I AM WELCOMING. And Jesus uses the word “sinners” back to the Pharisees so they will continue to believe that they are the righteous ones. Later rebukes and parables show He doesn’t consider the Pharisees righteous at all.
Now notice this little remark Jesus says to the Pharisees: “But go and learn what this means:” Why did Jesus say this? Because Jesus knows all about the Pharisees. That was their thing! Debating, analyzing, arguing, dissecting, trying to get the exact meaning of every word in the Scripture. Yet they couldn't recognize COMPASSION because their hearts were empty! He is basically saying, “Go off and study, have your meetings, discussions and debates and try to figure what LOVE is all about.” Jesus knew they would NEVER GET IT, because love, compassion and mercy CANNOT be learned by studying but only by each person's experience of pain, rejection, struggle and suffering. It is a HEART MATTER.
Jesus continues,‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Jesus is referring to Hosea 6:6 which says:
“For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”
The Pharisees taught themselves that serving God was all about performing rituals, sacrificing burnt offerings and keeping traditions. Yet see at how God feels about all of this done...without love.
“I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
I will have no regard for them.” Amos 5:21-22
And Isaiah 1
“The multitude of your sacrifices— what are they to me?” says the LORD. “I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations— I cannot bear your worthless assemblies. Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals I hate with all my being.
They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.
When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood! Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong.” Isaiah 1:11-16
Now see in the next verse which tell what God REALLY desires:
“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” Isaiah 1:17
Serving God is not about self sacrifice to gain God's approval, but about loving, serving and caring for OTHERS.
And Jesus was saying that the self-righteousness of the Pharisees and their judgment of the tax collectors, sinners …ordinary people…was wrong.
Jesus is telling us that it is a SIN to view ANYONE with contempt and that the kingdom of God is about JUSTICE, MERCY, COMPASSION and LOVE for ALL His people. The Gospel is an invitation to everyone no matter who they are...to come back to God. WE are the sinners who need a physician. It is NOT about living a perfect life of sacrifice and denial, but about ALL of us coming together to love God and love, serve and care for each other.
Are you a representative of Mercy or Sacrifice?
A Pastor with GUTS!
Thought you might enjoy this interesting prayer given in Kansas at the opening session of their Senate. It seems prayer still upsets some people. When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open
the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is what they heard:
Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask
your forgiveness and to seek your direction and
guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those
who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done.
We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem...
We have abused power and called it politics.
We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment...
Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.
Amen!
The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked out during the prayer in
protest. In 6 short weeks, Central Christian Church, where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged
more than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls responding negatively The church is now receiving international requests for copies of this prayer from India , Africa and Korea
Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, 'The Rest of the Story,'and
received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired.
With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep
over our nation and wholeheartedly become our
desire so that we again can be called 'one nation
under God.'
Thought you might enjoy this interesting prayer given in Kansas at the opening session of their Senate. It seems prayer still upsets some people. When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open
the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is what they heard:
Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask
your forgiveness and to seek your direction and
guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those
who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done.
We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem...
We have abused power and called it politics.
We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment...
Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.
Amen!
The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked out during the prayer in
protest. In 6 short weeks, Central Christian Church, where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged
more than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls responding negatively The church is now receiving international requests for copies of this prayer from India , Africa and Korea
Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, 'The Rest of the Story,'and
received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired.
With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep
over our nation and wholeheartedly become our
desire so that we again can be called 'one nation
under God.'
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Submitted by Squeak~
"Here for you now is a Senior version of Jesus Loves Me":
JESUS LOVES ME
Jesus loves me, this I know,
Though my hair is white as snow
Though my sight is growing dim,
Still He bids me trust in Him.
(CHORUS)
YES, JESUS LOVES ME.. YES, JESUS LOVES ME..
YES, JESUS LOVES ME, FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO.
Though my steps are oh, so slow,
With my hand in His I'll go
On through life, let come what may,
He'll be there to lead the way.
(CHORUS)
When the nights are dark and long,
In my heart He puts a song..
Telling me in words so clear,
"Have no fear, for I am near."
(CHORUS)
When my work on earth is done,
And life's victories have been won.
He will take me home above,
Then I'll understand His love.
(CHORUS)
I love Jesus, does He know?
Have I ever told Him so?
Jesus loves to hear me say,
That I love Him every day.
(CHORUS)
JESUS LOVES ME
Jesus loves me, this I know,
Though my hair is white as snow
Though my sight is growing dim,
Still He bids me trust in Him.
(CHORUS)
YES, JESUS LOVES ME.. YES, JESUS LOVES ME..
YES, JESUS LOVES ME, FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO.
Though my steps are oh, so slow,
With my hand in His I'll go
On through life, let come what may,
He'll be there to lead the way.
(CHORUS)
When the nights are dark and long,
In my heart He puts a song..
Telling me in words so clear,
"Have no fear, for I am near."
(CHORUS)
When my work on earth is done,
And life's victories have been won.
He will take me home above,
Then I'll understand His love.
(CHORUS)
I love Jesus, does He know?
Have I ever told Him so?
Jesus loves to hear me say,
That I love Him every day.
(CHORUS)
Submitted by Trish B.
1] Prayer is not a "spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble, but it is a "steering wheel" that directs the right path throughout.
2] A Car's WINDSHIELD is so large & the Rear view Mirror is so small? Because our past is not as important as our future. So, Look Ahead and Move on.
3] Friendship is like a BOOK. It takes few seconds to burn, but it takes years to write.
4] All things in life are temporary. If going well; enjoy it, they will not last forever. If going wrong; don't worry, they can't last long either.
5] Old Friends are Gold! New Friends are Diamond! If you get a Diamond, don't forget the Gold! Because to hold a Diamond, you always need a Base of Gold!
6] Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, GOD smiles from above and says, "Relax, sweetheart, it's just a bend, not the end!
7] When GOD solves your problems, you have faith in HIS abilities; when GOD doesn't solve your problems HE has faith in your abilities.
8] A blind person asked St. Anthony: "Can there be anything worse than losing eye sight?" He replied: "Yes, losing your vision!"
9] When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them, and sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you.
10] Worrying does not take away tomorrow's troubles, it takes away today's PEACE.
2] A Car's WINDSHIELD is so large & the Rear view Mirror is so small? Because our past is not as important as our future. So, Look Ahead and Move on.
3] Friendship is like a BOOK. It takes few seconds to burn, but it takes years to write.
4] All things in life are temporary. If going well; enjoy it, they will not last forever. If going wrong; don't worry, they can't last long either.
5] Old Friends are Gold! New Friends are Diamond! If you get a Diamond, don't forget the Gold! Because to hold a Diamond, you always need a Base of Gold!
6] Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, GOD smiles from above and says, "Relax, sweetheart, it's just a bend, not the end!
7] When GOD solves your problems, you have faith in HIS abilities; when GOD doesn't solve your problems HE has faith in your abilities.
8] A blind person asked St. Anthony: "Can there be anything worse than losing eye sight?" He replied: "Yes, losing your vision!"
9] When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them, and sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you.
10] Worrying does not take away tomorrow's troubles, it takes away today's PEACE.
Our weekend in Tennessee
 |
| A windmill blade on the back of a semi 128ft long. |
 |
| Me and my sister-Cathy |
 |
| The Grand Ole Opry! |
Johnson Chapel in Tennessee
 |
| sanctuary |
 |
| dining hall |
Monday, August 15, 2011
REMINDER - TOMORROW NIGHT!
Your church family is invited! Friends we wanted to invite local Friends to hear more about the work in Kenya. I know this is rather short notice, but John and John were both available this Tuesday and it was too good an opportunity to pass up!
All the best, Candi McDonald
Kenya in Westfield! 6:30 pm Tuesday, Aug 16 Come on Tuesday night to learn about Kenya from John Moru and John Muhanji. Come enjoy refreshments and a good visit around the table with F(f)riends
All the best, Candi McDonald
Kenya in Westfield! 6:30 pm Tuesday, Aug 16 Come on Tuesday night to learn about Kenya from John Moru and John Muhanji. Come enjoy refreshments and a good visit around the table with F(f)riends
Sunday, August 14, 2011
JAN CROUCH
Wasn't today just awesome?? I don't know about you but I was really blessed to hear him play and minister to my soul. I've had several requests for a copy of the CD of today's service. I want to make sure I make enough, so if you would like one, could you email me and let me know so I don't run short. Email me at bstubbs50@frontier.com and I'll be sure to have enough.
Thanks!
Bob
Thanks!
Bob
Saturday, August 13, 2011
TOMORROW
Just a reminder that you won't to miss services tomorrow as we welcome Jan Crouch and his gift of Ministry on the piano! Paulette and I had the priviledge to meet him at Indiana Yearly Meeting Sessions and enjoyed his playing so much and he agreed to come to Hinkle and share with all of you. Hope you can invite someone to come and be blessed with some good piano playing (for a change! LOL!)
Also, we will have Monthly Meeting tomorrow following the Service. You are all invited to attend. Starting in September, we will begin our monthly breakfast at 9:30 on Monthly Meeting Sunday which is always the second Sunday of the month! We look forward to this time of fellowship again now that we are back at Hinkle!
Also, we will have Monthly Meeting tomorrow following the Service. You are all invited to attend. Starting in September, we will begin our monthly breakfast at 9:30 on Monthly Meeting Sunday which is always the second Sunday of the month! We look forward to this time of fellowship again now that we are back at Hinkle!
Friday, August 12, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
IYM Quakers Session Two
Last nights discussion was even more interesting than session One. I am always interested to learn more about George Fox and the history of Quakerism but last nights discussion was so much more personal and emotional. We talked about the Quaker approach to Baptism and Communion. Doug encouraged us all to be careful never to say that as Quakers "we don't believe in those things." Because as he so passionately remarked. "We do!"
As Doug wrote in his handout~
"Quakers point to the spiritual reality behind religious rituals. We have discarded the rituals but embraced the spiritual realities to which they point."
Doug's efforts to help us all think through these ideas together and help us sort out our feelings is such a blessing! By the end of these sessions it is my hope that I will be able to more effectively speak to anyone about my faith, my religion and my personal relationship with Jesus. These kinds of deep, spiritual experiences are often hard to articulate. But the more we work on these areas of our faith the easier it will be. I love being at church on Tuesday nights talking about all of these things. We learn more about each other and ourselves in the process as well.
Next week the discussion will center on The Friends Peace Testimony. Please won't you consider coming and seeing for yourself what a blessing it is to stop mid-week and spend some time together thinking and speaking about these things on which we base our lives upon?
As Doug wrote in his handout~
"Quakers point to the spiritual reality behind religious rituals. We have discarded the rituals but embraced the spiritual realities to which they point."
Doug's efforts to help us all think through these ideas together and help us sort out our feelings is such a blessing! By the end of these sessions it is my hope that I will be able to more effectively speak to anyone about my faith, my religion and my personal relationship with Jesus. These kinds of deep, spiritual experiences are often hard to articulate. But the more we work on these areas of our faith the easier it will be. I love being at church on Tuesday nights talking about all of these things. We learn more about each other and ourselves in the process as well.
Next week the discussion will center on The Friends Peace Testimony. Please won't you consider coming and seeing for yourself what a blessing it is to stop mid-week and spend some time together thinking and speaking about these things on which we base our lives upon?
LEARN ABOUT KENYA
Dear Friends,
While Paulette and I were at Indiana Yearly Meeting Sessions, we met a couple of Pastors from Kenya which has a very strong Quaker presence there. Friends Missionaries have worked very hard for many years to establish a strong Quaker influence there with many Yearly Meetings, Churches, Schools, and hospitals. These two gentlemen will be at Westfield Friends Church this coming Tuesday evening to speak and get us acquainted with their work. Part of our assessment goes toward the work there and this is a great opportunity to hear and meet these fine men. Below is the email invitation I received this morning from Westfield inviting us to attend. It would be great if we could have a good representation from Hinkle.
Your church family is invited!
Friends we wanted to invite local Friends to hear more about the work in Kenya.
I know this is rather short notice, but John and John were both available this Tuesday and it was too good an opportunity to pass up!
We would appreciate it if you could announce this during worship on Sunday.
All the best,
Candi McDonald
Kenya in Westfield! 6:30 pm Tuesday, Aug 16
Come on Tuesday night to learn about Kenya from John Moru and John Muhanji. Come enjoy refreshments and a good visit around the table with F(f)riends
While Paulette and I were at Indiana Yearly Meeting Sessions, we met a couple of Pastors from Kenya which has a very strong Quaker presence there. Friends Missionaries have worked very hard for many years to establish a strong Quaker influence there with many Yearly Meetings, Churches, Schools, and hospitals. These two gentlemen will be at Westfield Friends Church this coming Tuesday evening to speak and get us acquainted with their work. Part of our assessment goes toward the work there and this is a great opportunity to hear and meet these fine men. Below is the email invitation I received this morning from Westfield inviting us to attend. It would be great if we could have a good representation from Hinkle.
Your church family is invited!
Friends we wanted to invite local Friends to hear more about the work in Kenya.
I know this is rather short notice, but John and John were both available this Tuesday and it was too good an opportunity to pass up!
We would appreciate it if you could announce this during worship on Sunday.
All the best,
Candi McDonald
Kenya in Westfield! 6:30 pm Tuesday, Aug 16
Come on Tuesday night to learn about Kenya from John Moru and John Muhanji. Come enjoy refreshments and a good visit around the table with F(f)riends
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
REMINDER
Wanted to remind all of you about tonight's Session on Quakerism and Indiana Yearly Meeting taught by Doug Shoemaker. Tonight's session will be on the "sacraments" and should prove to be an interesting lesson for those of you who question why we as Quakers do not participate in this ritual. I am in hopes that we will have a good representation from Hinkle tonight. If you missed last week, it is NOT too late to come and learn. Doug says that even if you can only take in one session, there will be review and you won't miss a thing. Looking forward to seeing you all tonight at 6:30!
ALSO - remember that this Sunday we will be ministered to with the talent and gift of music from Jan Crouch on the piano. Please invite someone to come and be blessed! We are looking forward to this great ministry to all of us.
ALSO - remember that this Sunday we will be ministered to with the talent and gift of music from Jan Crouch on the piano. Please invite someone to come and be blessed! We are looking forward to this great ministry to all of us.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Green Beans
I realize this post has nothing to do with the Church, but thought I'd post this and see if anyone else is having the same problem I am. I have two beautiful rows of green beans with healthy looking plants and has been blooming for weeks now, but they never produce a single green bean! We have waited for weeks for green beans and still nothing! I can't imagine what is causing this and have never had this problem before. I did a quick research on the internet and found that it could be caused by the lack of bees to polinate or over feritilizing. I didn't fertilize my garden this year, so I don't think that's the problem. Just wondered if any of you have had this situation with your home gardens. What a tough year for our gardens! Maybe last night's rain will help.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Alexandria Indiana ~ Fourth of July
July Fourth Pictures
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Nothing But The Water Part 1 lyrics
I have seen what man can do
When the evil lives inside of you
Many are the weak
And the strong are few
But with the water
We'll start anew
Well, won't you take me down to the levy
Take me down to the stream
Take my down to the water,
we're gonna wash our souls clean
Take me down to the river,
Take me down to the lake,
Yes, we'll all go together,
We're gonna do it for the good lord's sake
I have fallen so many times
For the devil's sweet, cunning rhymes
And this old world
Has brought me pain
But there's hope
For me again
Well, won't you take me down to the levy,
Take me down to the stream,
Take my down to the water,
We're gonna wash our souls clean,
Take me down to the river,
Take me down to the lake,
Yes, we'll all go together,
We're gonna do it for the good lord's sake
Tried my hand at the bible,
Tried my hand at prayer,
But now nothing but the water is gonna bring my soul to bare,
But now nothing but the water is gonna bring my soul to bare
When the evil lives inside of you
Many are the weak
And the strong are few
But with the water
We'll start anew
Well, won't you take me down to the levy
Take me down to the stream
Take my down to the water,
we're gonna wash our souls clean
Take me down to the river,
Take me down to the lake,
Yes, we'll all go together,
We're gonna do it for the good lord's sake
I have fallen so many times
For the devil's sweet, cunning rhymes
And this old world
Has brought me pain
But there's hope
For me again
Well, won't you take me down to the levy,
Take me down to the stream,
Take my down to the water,
We're gonna wash our souls clean,
Take me down to the river,
Take me down to the lake,
Yes, we'll all go together,
We're gonna do it for the good lord's sake
Tried my hand at the bible,
Tried my hand at prayer,
But now nothing but the water is gonna bring my soul to bare,
But now nothing but the water is gonna bring my soul to bare
Friday, August 5, 2011
Anderson Friends
http://www.apologetix.com/index.php
Apologetix
LIVE IN CONCERT
Friday, September 9, 2011 7:30pm
Anderson First Friends Church
2233 S. Central Way, Anderson IN 46011
TICKETS $10
If we get a group of 10 people to go, cost will be $80
Apologetix is a Christian parody band.
They make Biblical Parodies of Classic & Modern Hits.
"Weird Al" meets Billy Graham
They tour the United States doing around 100 concerts a year. They have been a band for many years and have lots of videos on YouTube so you can check them out yourselves!
I would love to get a couple car loads of people to go. Hopefully, we can easily get at least 10 people and get the discounted price. I am planning on taking Conner and I think Mike would like to go as well. Anyone who wants to go please let me know and I will call and reserve our tickets!
thank you!
Kelly 317-691-2329
TICKETS $10
If we get a group of 10 people to go, cost will be $80
Apologetix is a Christian parody band.
They make Biblical Parodies of Classic & Modern Hits.
"Weird Al" meets Billy Graham
They tour the United States doing around 100 concerts a year. They have been a band for many years and have lots of videos on YouTube so you can check them out yourselves!
I would love to get a couple car loads of people to go. Hopefully, we can easily get at least 10 people and get the discounted price. I am planning on taking Conner and I think Mike would like to go as well. Anyone who wants to go please let me know and I will call and reserve our tickets!
thank you!
Kelly 317-691-2329
Thursday, August 4, 2011
IYM Quakers
Session One
The Heart of Quakerism
Doug Shoemaker came to Hinkle Creek last night and spoke to us about having a personal relationship with God. I would encourage everyone to come next Wednesday evening for part two of this series. There were also people from Westfield Friends in attendance. We had a very nice turn out. Doug is a talented speaker and this lecture series he's developed is very well thought out and thoroughly prepared. Instead of preaching, Doug speaks to you. He is very kind, gentle, intelligent and thoughtful. He spoke about the heart of Quakerism which is a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Doug encouraged us to pray for the church that it might become a religious movement instead of just an institution. Afterwards we had fellowship in the basement. Bev brought several delicious home baked goods and iced tea and Bob brought some glazed Donuts from Longs Bakery in Indianapolis. The session lasted one hour and was very interesting, informative and enjoyable. Having Doug come to Hinkle and spend time with us is such a blessing. I just want to make sure that everyone who can takes advantage of this incredible opportunity. Even if you cannot attend all of the sessions it would be worth it to try to make it to at least one or two. It's a chance to meet Doug and a chance to spend time learning about Quakerism and Christianity. For me it was so nice the hear the heart of the Superintendent of IYM. He is a man of faith who loves and is good at what he does. He gave his life to Christ at the age of six years old, his calling is clear and he is the kind of person who will inspire and motivate you.
The Heart of Quakerism
Doug Shoemaker came to Hinkle Creek last night and spoke to us about having a personal relationship with God. I would encourage everyone to come next Wednesday evening for part two of this series. There were also people from Westfield Friends in attendance. We had a very nice turn out. Doug is a talented speaker and this lecture series he's developed is very well thought out and thoroughly prepared. Instead of preaching, Doug speaks to you. He is very kind, gentle, intelligent and thoughtful. He spoke about the heart of Quakerism which is a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Doug encouraged us to pray for the church that it might become a religious movement instead of just an institution. Afterwards we had fellowship in the basement. Bev brought several delicious home baked goods and iced tea and Bob brought some glazed Donuts from Longs Bakery in Indianapolis. The session lasted one hour and was very interesting, informative and enjoyable. Having Doug come to Hinkle and spend time with us is such a blessing. I just want to make sure that everyone who can takes advantage of this incredible opportunity. Even if you cannot attend all of the sessions it would be worth it to try to make it to at least one or two. It's a chance to meet Doug and a chance to spend time learning about Quakerism and Christianity. For me it was so nice the hear the heart of the Superintendent of IYM. He is a man of faith who loves and is good at what he does. He gave his life to Christ at the age of six years old, his calling is clear and he is the kind of person who will inspire and motivate you.
Adrian Rogers
He came the first time to die; He is coming again to raise the dead. When He came the first time, they questioned whether He was King; the next time the world will know that He is King of kings and Lord of lords. The first time He wore a crown of thorns; the next time He will be wearing a crown of glory. The first time He came in poverty; the next time He is coming in power. The first time He had an escort of angels; the next time He will come with ten thousands of His saints. The first time He came in meekness; He is coming again in majesty.
Adrian Pierce Rogers was an American pastor, conservative, author, and a three-term president of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Adrian Pierce Rogers was an American pastor, conservative, author, and a three-term president of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Adrian Rogers quotes
- Just because it doesn’t make sense to you doesn’t mean it doesn’t make sense.
- Most people want to serve God, but only in an advisory capacity.
- If Satan can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy.
- Sin is not just breaking God’s laws; it is breaking His heart.
- We ought to be living as if Jesus died yesterday, rose this morning, and is coming back this afternoon.
- Has it ever occurred to you that nothing occurs to God?
- It’s what you sow that multiplies, not what you keep in the barn.
- If you have a Bible that’s falling apart, you’ll have a life that’s not.
- I wouldn’t trust the best fifteen minutes I ever lived to get me into heaven.
- God grades on the Cross not on the curve.
Babbie Mason quote (Gospel singer)
Well, I am a messenger of the Gospel and I make no bones about that. I know that the love of Jesus Christ works; it changes lives. A relationship with Jesus makes all the difference in one’s life. Once I discovered who I am in Christ and the purpose that He has for me, I have never been happier or more fulfilled in my life. It may sound like a pat answer, but it’s true. Jesus loves you, in spite of yourself, and He has a great plan for your life if you will just go on a treasure hunt to find it. The Bible says that we will find Him if we search for Him with all of our hearts. So I’ve been on that pursuit and it’s been a great journey. I know that I have just scratched the surface of His plan for me, and it’s pretty exciting right now. So, I encourage people to fall more deeply, more intimately, more madly, more passionately, in love with Jesus, and to search to be on a hot pursuit to find God’s plan for their lives. www.babbie.com
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