August 2006
From the Pastor:
When one thinks of summer one immediately thinks of vacation, swimming, days out at the park, gardening, playing hookey from church, and taking a boat ride with the family. The list can go on and on.
The church also uses this time to take a vacation from long meetings, and to cut programming. Pastors also take their vacation at this time and the church secretary takes this time to catch up or get ready for the upcoming church year.
The lazy, hazy, hot days of summer has meant a time of rest and relaxation for everyone. But is summer truly a time to do that? Or have the lazy, hazy, hots days of summer become just another time to cram things into our daily lives?
I am sad to say that the latter is what we are seeing today. Retirees, single people, parents, couples, and even kids are cramming more and more into their daily lives. The result is that the average time a parent spends with their children is less than 30 minutes a day. And the average time couples spend with each other is 15 minutes a day. Churches see their parishioners less and less. What is one to do?
It is my belief that one of the reasons people are spending less quality time with the ones they love and in any kind of spiritual discipline is because folks have lost their sense of spiritual compass. Many today are looking for things to keep them ocuppied and entertained because they are afraid to be by themselves or with their loved ones. People are afraid to be alone with God too.
Many books on the future of the church say that the church in many respects has stopped preaching the message of salvation and has become irrelevant to the needs of its parioshioners. Because of this more people nowadays are staying away from the church.
A couple of weeks I spoke with a clergy who basically told me that our churches were filled with people who had lost their faith. "People in the pew don't know in whom they believe anymore. They come to church because it's tradition, it's the thing to do on Sundays. You ask them what they believe and why they come to church and it's like looking at deer caught up by headlights," he said.
My comment to this pastor was, "if this is true then we pastors are waisting our time." It is my conviction that the reason I do what I do is
because I was called to proclaim good news to the captives, work for
social justice, heal the sick, and proclaim the year of our Lord. It is also my belief that the purpose of the message of Christ is to transform the hearts of those who listen.
So the question I ask myself, "If all of our churches are filled with people who have no faith, who is then really listening to the transformative message of Jesus Christ?" Has the message of salvation fallen on deaf ears? Based on this pastor's theory, the hours I spend preparing for my sermon and for Bible lessons is just a waste of time.
As I pondered on these questions I asked myself whether it was time for me to get off the merry go round of busyness and started to get back into the basics of spirituality. I believe that it's time for all of us to make time for the things that prepare us for eternity with God.
The question I am prayerfully pondering is, "What is it that I can do to help those I serve experience the divine?" For me the answer is prayer. As a pastor what I can do is be more intentional about praying for each and every person God has entrusted into my care. Instead of being so busy in the adminstraive things of the church, I can take time to interceed for each of you and place you and your loved ones in God's hands. I can also take the time to listen to your concerns and be willing to be a non anxious presence to you.
Two weeks ago I began sending notes to members of the church. In the note I explained that I had covenanted to call on them and to invite them to share with me a prayer concern they would want me to pray about. I even indicated in the note that if they didn't want me to call on them, they could email me or just send me a note with the prayer request instead. During that week I would be lifting up their prayer concerns and their families. My hope is to cover the whole church by the end of November.
Prayer helps us to focus on what is important. It gives us an opportunity to chat with the Creator of the heavens and earth. Prayer also gives us an opportunity to listen for God's voice. It helps us discover faith when faith is no longer there.
I hope and pray that a year from now I can tell my friend that the power of prayer has transformed me and my congregation. I pray that he no longer sees churches filled with people who have no faith, but rather with people who are willing to ask God in prayer to help them with their unbelief.
Who knows perhaps the church can grow in their faith and be empowered to prioritize that which God has called them to be about. My ultimate prayer is that this congergation not only be lifted up and find God's grace in their lives, but that I'd be transformed in the process too.
Until next time.
Peace and grace,Pastor Mara
Worship for the Month of August 2006
August 6, 2006
18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
9:00 a.m. Worship with Traditional Communion in the Sanctuary
Readings: Psalm 51:1-12 and Ephesians 4:1-16
Sermon Theme: Today we welcome Bette Hoytink to the pulpit. Bette will preach and share her experience as a Commissioner of the Winnebago Presbytery to the 217th General Assembly. Bette will talk to us about the decisions the General Assembly took that will impact the church in years to come.
August 13, 2006
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
9:00 a.m. Worship
Readings: TBA
Sermon Theme: Today we welcome Pastor Tom Willadsen from First Presbyterian Church of Oshkosh. Pastor Mara will be preaching in Oshkosh as we celebrate our annual pulpit exchange. Join us.
August 20, 2006
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time/ Worship with Lord of the Lakes and Grace Lutheran at Larson
9:30 a.m. Worship
Readings: TBA
Sermon Theme: Today we worship with Lord of the Lakes and Grace Lutheran. This year Grace Lutheran will host the outdoor service. Special music will be provided by an ecumenical choir. Join us as we share God's love together.
August 27, 2006
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
9:00 a.m. Worship
Readings: Psalm 84 and John 6:56-69
Sermon Theme: Being homeless is part of what it is to be human. How do Christians respond to homelessness? Where is our true home? Our true home is in Christ. But before we can share our home in Christ with others we need to make sure their physical needs are tended to.
Save the Date October 7, 2006
The Gathering
Congregational Transformation:
A New Vision
Winnebago Presbytery’s annual presbytery-wide educational event will be held this year at First Presbyterian Church, DePere, from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00p.m.
The keynote presentation will be by The Rev. Amy Fowler, Associate Executive Presbyter of Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery, and music by Tom Reynolds, Musician and Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at St. Norbert College. Workshops will include Transformation: What the heck is that? Reconnecting with your community, Let it Sizzle: Hot Topics in the PC(USA) and more! The cost is $5.00 per person.
Childcare (through age 4) and children’s programming (through 5th grade) will be provided. Middle and Sr. Highs are encouraged to attend.
Volunteers for Month of August
August 6
USHERS: Jessica Harriso and Rich Balfanz
COMMUNION SERVERS: Dick Kreager, Robert Dinse, Kelly Angell and Dave Norton
LAY READER: Bette Hoytink
GREETER: Karen Angell
August 13
USHERS: Jessica Harrison
and Rich Balfanz
LAY READER: Bette Hoytink
GREETER: Karen Angell
August 20
Combined Service with Grace Lutheran and Lord of the Lakes
August 27
USHERS: Jessica Harrison and Rich Balfanz
LAY READER: Bette Hoytink
GREETER: Karen Angell
Youth News
8/12/06 Youth Fellowship - Mt. Olympus at Wisconsin Dells. Cost is $26.95 per person. Bring brown bag lunch and money for supper. We'll bring drinks. We'll leave church at 8:00 a.m. and return at 8:00 p.m.
Event:
Location: The 10th Frame
Wisconsin Ave., Appleton
Date: Wednesday, July 26
Time: 12 noon – 3 pm
Come and enjoy $1 Unlimited BowlingFREE Shoe Rental, FREE food, Contests, FREE lunch, Fun, Door Prized for all who attend, Live Music by The Heart Snatchers and we did mention FUN!
Event:
Location: Aurora Health Care
Westown Dr., Neenah
Date: Wednesday, August 2
Time: 12 noon – 3 pm
Come and hang out for the afternoon! Enjoy Live Music, Games, Ice Cream and many other activities including Dunk Tank! Great Prizes will be raffled off! Don’t miss out on the FUN!
When one thinks of summer one immediately thinks of vacation, swimming, days out at the park, gardening, playing hookey from church, and taking a boat ride with the family. The list can go on and on.
The church also uses this time to take a vacation from long meetings, and to cut programming. Pastors also take their vacation at this time and the church secretary takes this time to catch up or get ready for the upcoming church year.
The lazy, hazy, hot days of summer has meant a time of rest and relaxation for everyone. But is summer truly a time to do that? Or have the lazy, hazy, hots days of summer become just another time to cram things into our daily lives?
I am sad to say that the latter is what we are seeing today. Retirees, single people, parents, couples, and even kids are cramming more and more into their daily lives. The result is that the average time a parent spends with their children is less than 30 minutes a day. And the average time couples spend with each other is 15 minutes a day. Churches see their parishioners less and less. What is one to do?
It is my belief that one of the reasons people are spending less quality time with the ones they love and in any kind of spiritual discipline is because folks have lost their sense of spiritual compass. Many today are looking for things to keep them ocuppied and entertained because they are afraid to be by themselves or with their loved ones. People are afraid to be alone with God too.
Many books on the future of the church say that the church in many respects has stopped preaching the message of salvation and has become irrelevant to the needs of its parioshioners. Because of this more people nowadays are staying away from the church.
A couple of weeks I spoke with a clergy who basically told me that our churches were filled with people who had lost their faith. "People in the pew don't know in whom they believe anymore. They come to church because it's tradition, it's the thing to do on Sundays. You ask them what they believe and why they come to church and it's like looking at deer caught up by headlights," he said.
My comment to this pastor was, "if this is true then we pastors are waisting our time." It is my conviction that the reason I do what I do is
because I was called to proclaim good news to the captives, work for
social justice, heal the sick, and proclaim the year of our Lord. It is also my belief that the purpose of the message of Christ is to transform the hearts of those who listen.
So the question I ask myself, "If all of our churches are filled with people who have no faith, who is then really listening to the transformative message of Jesus Christ?" Has the message of salvation fallen on deaf ears? Based on this pastor's theory, the hours I spend preparing for my sermon and for Bible lessons is just a waste of time.
As I pondered on these questions I asked myself whether it was time for me to get off the merry go round of busyness and started to get back into the basics of spirituality. I believe that it's time for all of us to make time for the things that prepare us for eternity with God.
The question I am prayerfully pondering is, "What is it that I can do to help those I serve experience the divine?" For me the answer is prayer. As a pastor what I can do is be more intentional about praying for each and every person God has entrusted into my care. Instead of being so busy in the adminstraive things of the church, I can take time to interceed for each of you and place you and your loved ones in God's hands. I can also take the time to listen to your concerns and be willing to be a non anxious presence to you.
Two weeks ago I began sending notes to members of the church. In the note I explained that I had covenanted to call on them and to invite them to share with me a prayer concern they would want me to pray about. I even indicated in the note that if they didn't want me to call on them, they could email me or just send me a note with the prayer request instead. During that week I would be lifting up their prayer concerns and their families. My hope is to cover the whole church by the end of November.
Prayer helps us to focus on what is important. It gives us an opportunity to chat with the Creator of the heavens and earth. Prayer also gives us an opportunity to listen for God's voice. It helps us discover faith when faith is no longer there.
I hope and pray that a year from now I can tell my friend that the power of prayer has transformed me and my congregation. I pray that he no longer sees churches filled with people who have no faith, but rather with people who are willing to ask God in prayer to help them with their unbelief.
Who knows perhaps the church can grow in their faith and be empowered to prioritize that which God has called them to be about. My ultimate prayer is that this congergation not only be lifted up and find God's grace in their lives, but that I'd be transformed in the process too.
Until next time.
Peace and grace,Pastor Mara
Worship for the Month of August 2006
August 6, 2006
18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
9:00 a.m. Worship with Traditional Communion in the Sanctuary
Readings: Psalm 51:1-12 and Ephesians 4:1-16
Sermon Theme: Today we welcome Bette Hoytink to the pulpit. Bette will preach and share her experience as a Commissioner of the Winnebago Presbytery to the 217th General Assembly. Bette will talk to us about the decisions the General Assembly took that will impact the church in years to come.
August 13, 2006
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
9:00 a.m. Worship
Readings: TBA
Sermon Theme: Today we welcome Pastor Tom Willadsen from First Presbyterian Church of Oshkosh. Pastor Mara will be preaching in Oshkosh as we celebrate our annual pulpit exchange. Join us.
August 20, 2006
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time/ Worship with Lord of the Lakes and Grace Lutheran at Larson
9:30 a.m. Worship
Readings: TBA
Sermon Theme: Today we worship with Lord of the Lakes and Grace Lutheran. This year Grace Lutheran will host the outdoor service. Special music will be provided by an ecumenical choir. Join us as we share God's love together.
August 27, 2006
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
9:00 a.m. Worship
Readings: Psalm 84 and John 6:56-69
Sermon Theme: Being homeless is part of what it is to be human. How do Christians respond to homelessness? Where is our true home? Our true home is in Christ. But before we can share our home in Christ with others we need to make sure their physical needs are tended to.
Save the Date October 7, 2006
The Gathering
Congregational Transformation:
A New Vision
Winnebago Presbytery’s annual presbytery-wide educational event will be held this year at First Presbyterian Church, DePere, from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00p.m.
The keynote presentation will be by The Rev. Amy Fowler, Associate Executive Presbyter of Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery, and music by Tom Reynolds, Musician and Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at St. Norbert College. Workshops will include Transformation: What the heck is that? Reconnecting with your community, Let it Sizzle: Hot Topics in the PC(USA) and more! The cost is $5.00 per person.
Childcare (through age 4) and children’s programming (through 5th grade) will be provided. Middle and Sr. Highs are encouraged to attend.
Volunteers for Month of August
August 6
USHERS: Jessica Harriso and Rich Balfanz
COMMUNION SERVERS: Dick Kreager, Robert Dinse, Kelly Angell and Dave Norton
LAY READER: Bette Hoytink
GREETER: Karen Angell
August 13
USHERS: Jessica Harrison
and Rich Balfanz
LAY READER: Bette Hoytink
GREETER: Karen Angell
August 20
Combined Service with Grace Lutheran and Lord of the Lakes
August 27
USHERS: Jessica Harrison and Rich Balfanz
LAY READER: Bette Hoytink
GREETER: Karen Angell
Youth News
8/12/06 Youth Fellowship - Mt. Olympus at Wisconsin Dells. Cost is $26.95 per person. Bring brown bag lunch and money for supper. We'll bring drinks. We'll leave church at 8:00 a.m. and return at 8:00 p.m.
Event:
Location: The 10th Frame
Wisconsin Ave., Appleton
Date: Wednesday, July 26
Time: 12 noon – 3 pm
Come and enjoy $1 Unlimited BowlingFREE Shoe Rental, FREE food, Contests, FREE lunch, Fun, Door Prized for all who attend, Live Music by The Heart Snatchers and we did mention FUN!
Event:
Location: Aurora Health Care
Westown Dr., Neenah
Date: Wednesday, August 2
Time: 12 noon – 3 pm
Come and hang out for the afternoon! Enjoy Live Music, Games, Ice Cream and many other activities including Dunk Tank! Great Prizes will be raffled off! Don’t miss out on the FUN!
posted by harmon at
10:11 AM
