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Faith United Presbyterian Church
Focus on Faith |
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 What Do You Think? "Mind and Heart" - The Life of Faith Requires Both
When Margie and I arrived in Monmouth and began our house hunting, we visited a home that was the former manse of one of the Presbyterian congregation's in town. A few of the home's windows were leaded glass, cut with the symbol of a flaming heart held with two hands. Some of you will recognize this as the seal for Jean Calvin, perhaps the greatest mind in Reformed theology. While the stereotype of Calvin, as cold, harsh and intellectual, does not reflect this, Calvin understood, as well as anyone, in the life of faith, heart and mind, ardor and order, must not be separated.
Holding both together has not always been easy for Presbyterians. Our default is almost always "order". We are not known for our ecstatic expressions of spiritual anointing. This is not a criticism. For the larger Christian community, we have served as an important corrective. Nevertheless, there have been times in our history, when God has sought fit to inject our orderly life with a healthy dose of spiritual ardor. New Light and New Side Presbyterians represent two such anointings. Interestingly, like the Reformation itself, they relied heavily on reclaiming "right doctrine" as way to create space for the Spirit to work freely.
In her Forward to Brian McLaren's, Finding Our Way Again, Phyllis Tickle identifies our time in history as one of these times when the Spirit is at work. In her words, "Christianity is going through a time of enormous upheaval... Young men and women of faith, especially, are crying everywhere, 'Give us faith that costs us something! We want to feel the passion of those who knew and know Christianity is worth dying for! Teach us the things that will mark us as children of God!"
Dr. Tickle goes on to claim, "Their demands swell out with heat and vision, and what they foretell is that Christianity must be a way of living life as much as it is a system of belief. What they envision are Christians who belong to each other in common cause, regardless of place and circumstance, a tribe of people marked by how they are and live as a nation peculiar unto God, regardless of where they may exist on this earth."
Where Dr. Tickle, and others, see this resurgence of the Spirit leading is in living our faith with more intention. Reclaiming ancient spiritual practices, which distinguish us from the culture in which we live. Making intentional life choices, which mark us as children of God and followers of Jesus Christ. "We must begin again, as once our forebears did, to live not as culturally safe Christians, but as observant ones, the markings of our faith becoming so inherent in each of us as to be the faith incarnated in us."
In other words, we must see, again, the Christian faith is more than a system of belief. The Christian faith is a way of life. A way of life that demands both, heart and mind, heat and light, if it is to be lived faithfully. People of faith, in our lives and our life together, may it be so.
See you in church!
Pastor Myers
revhaggis1@hotmail.com
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This Sunday...
"What Does It Mean to Follow Jesus?"Proverbs 31:10-31 James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a Psalm 1 Mark 9:30-37 Lay Assistant: Jeanne Robeson
Beedle/Crucifer: Jessica Wilson & Choir
Usher: Carol & Bonnie Heflin, Ralph & Martha Whiteman, Norma Mettler
Greeters: Jeff, Brenda, Job & Noah Runge and Jim & Carol McCurdy
Children's Church: Ann Phelps
Nursery: Margie & Will Myers
Coffee Hour: Leroy & Joyce Lantz
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Sunday School
Sunday school begins at 9:15 a.m. PreK (3+) and Kindergarten - meet in the upstairs theater. Your teachers are Mrs. Lyle and Ms. Simpson. 1, 2, 3th grade - meet in the upstairs theater. Your teacher will be Mrs. Myers and Crystal Sargent. 4, 5, 6th grade - meet in the upstairs theater. Your teachers are Mrs. Heaton, Mrs. Dingman and Mr. Best. 7 & 8th grade - meet in the junior/senior high room above the nursery. Your teachers will be Dr. Sargent and Jill McClintock. Senior High - your schedule has changed this year. You will not meet for Sunday School but will instead meet for a meal after church at least twice a month. More information will be coming. This makes it possible for you to join our chancel choir which practices on Sunday mornings or join our Faith & Life class and learn about interesting topics related to our faith or our Bible Study class. Adult Sunday School Faith & Life: Will not meet for the rest of September. We will resume October 7. Stayed tuned for more information. Bible Study: Joyce Hagemann will again lead this Sunday Morning Bible Study class. It will meet in the brides room across from the chapel just outside the social hall. This class will begin meeting on September 23, at 9:15.
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Isabel Circle
Isabel Circle will meet at the home of Sharon Graham on Thursday, September 27th at 7:00 p.m. Those who are attending can car pool from the church parking lot at 6:30 p.m. Sharon Graham will present the Introduction and Lesson One: An Overview of the General Epistles. The Scripture readings include 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1-3 John, and Jude.
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An Invitation to Read the Bible
(09/23/12) Sunday - Luke 16:31-18:43, Monday - Luke 19:1-20:46, Tuesday - Luke 20:47-22:38, Wednesday - Luke 22:39-23:55, Thursday - Luke 23:56-John 1:28 , Friday - John 1:29-3:36, Saturday - John 4:1-5:33, Sunday (09/30/12) - John 5:34-6:71
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Provide Meals to Our Youth
The Sr. High Youth Group will be meeting once a month for lunch following worship on Sundays at 12:30 p.m. If you are interested in providing a lunch (pizza, hotdogs, tacos, sloppy joes, etc.) for our youth, please sign up on the office door or contact Stephanie Reading. This is a great time for our youth to enjoy lunch and fellowship together. Your support is greatly appreciated!
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Commissioned Ruling Elder Program
Commissioned Ruling Elders (CREs) are elders in one of the churches of our presbytery who have felt a call to further their ministry by seeking further education. Once that education is complete, they work with the Committee on Ministry to determine whether or not they have a call to be commissioned as the pastor of one of our smaller churches. We have more than a dozen congregations now served by CREs.
Most of the education is now done online through Dubuque Seminary. The presbytery also requires that anyone who would like to be commissioned here does two other things. The first is to be evaluated as to their emotional and psychological readiness for the rigors of the pastoral life. Currently, this is done through a counseling service in Chicago but it will soon be done within the bounds of the presbytery. The second is to attend a class taught by members of the presbytery to look at the practical aspects of polity, preaching, worship, and sacraments. Online classes are good for theory and we are adding this component of practice.
Please contact Sue Krummel at skrummel@greatriverspby.org if you would like more information or if you or someone you know would like to attend.
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Handyman/woman Needed
Strom Center would like to partner with individuals from our church who have the capability and desire to help others in the community with minor house repairs who are incapable of doing it themselves. Please sign up on the office door if you can offer your time and talent.
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Help Lindsay!
Raffle tickets for half of a hog (processing included) are now available in the church office from Heather, for the Lindsay Murdock Benefit. Tickets are $5.00 a piece. The drawing will be held on October 1, 2012, at the United Volleyball game at United High School. You need not be present to win. Two thumbs up for Lindsay!!!
Lindsay is now at: On With Life at Ankeny 715 SW Ankeny Rd Ankeny, IA 50023
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Sympathy
To the family and many friends of Dr. James Ebersole, who died on September 16, 2012.
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September Birthdays
1 Lindsay Aberle Lynn Bowman 5 Margaret Josephson 7 Tamara Inman 9 Gary Distin Pam Youngblood 10 Vicki Briscoe 11 Greg Baber 14 Eileen Giddings Phyllis Wilson Eilleen Spoerl 17 Mary Fleming 18 Peter Byrne 19 Marian Mills Jordan Watson 20 Brady Agan 22 Hannah Finnicum 23 Colton McClintock 25 Rachel Haynes 26 Ethan Clark 30 Mona Buchholz
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Prayers
For:
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Pat Comer (sister of Vern Mettler and Dixie Wells), Rose Trimble, Wayne Hasting (Betty Lee's brother), Jane Warfield, Mick Miller, Tracey Williams, Lindsay Murdock & family, Don Mills, Vern Carr, Don Robeson, Janet Themanson, Jim & Janet Paris.
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