How Do We Love the World?

One of the many things I enjoy about our family's excursions to Chicago is the new perspective offered by these trips.  There is no place in Monmouth where we can open a window and stick our head in the clouds.  We do not have trains that fly through the air or run underground.  The surf on Citizen's Lake does not quite compare to that of Lake Michigan.

This is not to suggest life in Chicago is necessarily better than in Monmouth.  On the contrary, there are many qualities about Monmouth that easily surpass Chicago.  My point is simply that by leaving Monmouth, even for a short time, I am given a different perspective on life.  I am forced to open my eyes and broaden my mind, because there are so many things in Chicago that simply do not exist in Monmouth, and when I am shaping my world view I have to account for them.

One of the things our trips to Chicago continually bring to mind is the vast diversity of our world.  Our town, including the college, could reside in a couple of skyscrapers on Michigan Avenue.  The cacophony of languages, ethnicities, cultures, races, art, and classes is extraordinary.  Even the passing houses along the train tracks leave one with the indelible impression that our world is larger and more complex than we can truly comprehend.  I often find myself wondering, "How do we begin to love a world we can hardly begin to know?"

In practice, we break our world into smaller, more manageable, parts.  We have our immediate families, whom we have been enculturated to love the most.  We then have our extended families and our friends, our acquaintances and neighbors, our coworkers and colleagues, our sisters and brothers in fraternal and religious organizations.  While our emotional investment varies in these relationships, we may still claim to love these people in real and meaningful ways.

Beyond these circles of affinity, when we speak of love, the concept becomes more abstract.  Expressing our love for another member of the congregation is one thing, but what does it mean to love a sister in Christ who resides in a village in China?  When someone close to us is languishing in a hospital or nursing home, it breaks our heart.  How do we cultivate such a love for those nameless, faceless people, being "detained" by government agencies or security forces?  Countless women and children are being "trafficked" throughout our world.  If they were our wives and mothers, sisters and daughters, we would be devastated and do something because we love them. 

What does it mean for us to love those we don't know in the name of Jesus Christ?  How do we love the world?  I am not sure I have an answer, but I think it begins, not with affiliation, but with proximity.  People of faith, may our circles of affinity become ever increasing circles of influence, as we seek to love the world in the name of Jesus Christ.

See you in church!

Pastor Myers

revhaggis1@hotmail.com

"Saved to Serve" 

"Thus says the LORD:  In a time of favor I have answered you, on a day of salvation I have helped you; I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages; saying to the prisoners, 'Come out,' to those who are in darkness, 'Show yourselves."

Isaiah 49:8-9a

Isaiah 49:8-16a                                1 Corinthians 4:1-5

Psalm 131                                         Matthew 6:24-34

Lay Assistant:

Mary Distin

Beedle/Crucifer:

   Malik Reading and Dalton Hottle       

Ushers:

Carol & Bonnie Heflin, Ralph & Martha Whiteman, Norma Mettler
Greeters: 

Ralph & Marjorie Butler and Pat & Jim Brown & Traylyn Mitchell      

Nursery: 

Amy Gound and Maggie McVey     

Children's Church: 

Ann Phelps     

Coffee Hour:   

Dottie Behnke, Esther White, Marilyn VanHoozer  

Sunday school for PreK - 6th meet up stairs and Jr. & Sr. Highs meet in the Youth Wing at 9:15 a.m.

Sunday Morning Bible Study Class - The adult Bible study class will meet on Sunday mornings in the Bride's Room (across from the chapel) at 9:15 a.m. beginning March 13.  This 3 month series of lessons will focus on New Testament understanding of worship.  Whom do we worship?  How  do we worship?  Why do we worship?  Through study and discussion, we will try to understand the early Christians struggle to decide what worship should be and how to do it.  Then, we can look at our worship practices more objectively.  All adults are welcome to attend this class.  Lesson Materials for March 13th will be available in the classroom cabinet one week earlier.  

Faith & Life Class - 9:15 Sunday morning in the social hall 

Isabelle Circle will meet at the church on tonight at 7:00 p.m.  Judy Andrews will be the hostess. 

Margie Myers will be the facilitator for Lesson Five: Singing Hymns of Hope: Interludes of Salvation for God's People.  Like a musical interlude, the vision of Revelation 7 interrupts the judgements of the opening of the first six seals.  Only after this glimpse of white-robed martyrs from "every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages," waving palm branches and singing before the throne of God and the Lamb is the seventh seal opened.  The purpose of this interlude in Chapter 7, and others in Revelation, is two-fold:  1) to delay judgement so that God's people can be protected, and 2) to strengthen the people of God, encouraging the power of witness for those who follow the Lamb.

As you know, our youth will participate once again in World Vision's 30 Hour Famine.  We would love to be able to reach our total goal of sending in $1,000!  If you are able to donate to this worthy cause, and would like to do it online, you can go to  DONATE HERE and select one of youth to support.   

When we have our community of faith, family, and friends show an interest in worthy causes that our youth believe in, the lasting effects can have a profound impact on them.  Thank you for helping achieve our goal.

Your weekly Scripture readings are:

Sunday (2/27) - 1 Samuel 15:24-17:57  

Monday - 1 Samuel 17:58-20:23  

Tuesday - 1 Samuel 20:24-23:29  

Wednesday - 1 Samuel 24:1-26:24  

Thursday - 1 Samuel 26:25-30:31  

Friday - 1 Samuel 31:1-2 Samuel 3:13  

Saturday - 2 Samuel 3:14-6:23  

Sunday (3/6) - 2 Samuel 7:1-10:19

Thai Circle will meet at the church at 9:30 a.m. on March 3rd.

Hospice Compassus needs your help to bring change to people's lives during a very important transition in one's life.  They are looking for ordinary people with extra-ordinary hearts to offer a variety of volunteer services to Hospice Compassus patients and our patient caregivers.

If you have some extra time to donate to our organization and are willing to assist us, please call (309)342-3007.  Persons interested are asked to call for registration to Doug Gibb, MS.ED., GC-C., LFD (309)342-3007.

Our new Faith & Art Guild would like to ask our congregation to be the first exhibitors of art in our social hall.  During Lent (March 9-April 23), we would like to exhibit pictures taken by members and friends of Faith UPC.  Specifically, we would like you to look at the world around you and find examples of crosses mixed into our everyday lives.  Take a photo of the cross, have it made into at least an 8x10 and either frame it or put a matte around it.  Inexpensive mattes and frames may be purchased at Shopko, Walmart, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, ...  We are hoping you will not take pictures of actual crosses, but instead look for the cross in a tree branch, a window pane, a telephone pole...

This is meant to be a fun challenge and an eye opening experiment into how we are surrounded by the symbol of our salvation.  Reminders of God's love are everywhere.  If you have questions, please call the church office (734-5129) or talk with Margie.  Please bring your photographs to the church and ready to be displayed by March 9.   

Good Luck and God Bless your search.

The 5th & 6th graders of WNL are starting a new mission project for kids in our community.  They would like to make Birthday boxes for families who can't afford to give their children the kind of party other kids have.  We hope to include in a box:

Cake mix

Frosting

Cupcake cups

Candles

Themed plates

Cups

Napkins

Table cloth

Plastic utensils

Cake decorations

Simple games

Goodie bags

Small toys and candy to go in goodie bags

If you have leftovers from your party or want to buy new please bring them to the church and place them in the birthday box around the corner from the parking lot door.

Kids love themed parties:  Batman, Princess, Cars, Barbie...  but, anything is welcome.   

Thank you for your help, our kids will have fun making the boxes and knowing their helping to make a child's birthday a special one.

2          Dee Long

3          Parker Steis

5          Korey Fisher

      Betty McBride

7          Denise Turnbull
            Dick Griffiths

8          Emily Yard

            John Marshall 

9          Megan Lyle

11        Helen Redmond 

12        Ralph Whiteman

13        Sandra Spainhour

            Buster Kellogg, Jr.

18        Jennifer Hedges

19        Will Myers

            Sharon Simpson

21        Gary Heaton

22        Ryan Cheek

            Bill Smallwood

23        Catrina Pullen

24        Jackie Andrews

            Ted Briscoe

25        David Allison

            Reva Brower

            Martha Whiteman

26        Carl Shaub 

      Helen Owens

27        Susan Trevor

28        Joyce Patterson

...happy birthday to you!