Pastor's Weekly Musing
Hey everyone!
This Sunday is a special day. Of course, it's the first day of the New Year. 2023 is here, believe it or not. We're closer to 2050 than we are to 1995. Crazy, right?
But much more than that, this Sunday we're kicking off our year in a deeply profound way. We're baptizing several people, dedicating several babies to the Lord, and taking Communion together. One service at 11 AM. It's going to be awesome to start the New Year as a family doing Family of God things.
ALSO...
This Sunday will be the first day of a new thing, an intentional step taken in our formation as people of God. I'm going to ask you to bring some things to church every Sunday, starting in the New Year:
1- Bring your Bible.
2- Bring a journal/notebook.
Why? We're going to put a stop to the weekly paper handouts that we've been printing and dispersing for years. Crazy, I know.
We'll be doing this for several reasons:
FIRST - it's a good habit to know your paper Bible intimately. The great British preacher Charles Spurgeon once said, "A Bible that's falling apart usually belongs to a person that isn't." Bring it, follow the message with it, write in it, highlight it, know it.
Yes, using the Bible app on your phone is just fine. But if you're like me, the digital distraction is way too strong for my own sense of willpower. Try it for a while. It's old school. Retro. And actually really helpful.
SECOND - it's powerful to have a centralized location (a notebook, journal, etc.) where your spiritual life is cataloged, recorded, reviewable, and at your fingertips. Get a notebook that you like, bring it every Sunday, take notes in it, then use the same notebook for your personal devotional journaling throughout the week.
Imagine at the end of the year having a journal that's entitled "2023"? And you can look back on the year in faith and see how God has caused you to grow? Imagine having a shelf full of notebooks in a few years? It's worth it. And much easier to follow and track than the paper handouts we give out every week.
THIRD - the money, effort, and work-hours devoted to creating, editing, printing, and folding the handouts would quite honestly shock you. Not to mention the waste. It's time to make this shift. Seriously.
FOURTH - the outline will still be available on the Meadows App, if you're so inclined. So there's that, for those of you who prefer having the outline on you.
FIFTH - if you're unsure of what kind of notebook or journal to get, you can go to our Info Center in the lobby, where we have Lectio Divina Journals available for purchase (at cost, $15). Our volunteer team just got these exact same journals as a Christmas gift this past month, and they're really cool. They have simple daily devotionals with clear instructions, as well as weekly sections for Sunday sermon notes. A centralized location! Pretty cool, right? I'll be using it all next year as my personal journal. (We'll also have blank Meadows notebooks available for free to take as well!)
SIXTH - if you'd like to just sit and listen to a message -- with no note-taking or fill-ins or scribbles -- that's an option as well! There are some Sundays that I need exactly that -- to simply receive His goodness. Do that guilt-free, whenever it's needed.
It'll all start this Sunday, with a special service built around Communion, Baptisms, babies, and worship. It's going to be a good day!
This Sunday is a special day. Of course, it's the first day of the New Year. 2023 is here, believe it or not. We're closer to 2050 than we are to 1995. Crazy, right?
But much more than that, this Sunday we're kicking off our year in a deeply profound way. We're baptizing several people, dedicating several babies to the Lord, and taking Communion together. One service at 11 AM. It's going to be awesome to start the New Year as a family doing Family of God things.
ALSO...
This Sunday will be the first day of a new thing, an intentional step taken in our formation as people of God. I'm going to ask you to bring some things to church every Sunday, starting in the New Year:
1- Bring your Bible.
2- Bring a journal/notebook.
Why? We're going to put a stop to the weekly paper handouts that we've been printing and dispersing for years. Crazy, I know.
We'll be doing this for several reasons:
FIRST - it's a good habit to know your paper Bible intimately. The great British preacher Charles Spurgeon once said, "A Bible that's falling apart usually belongs to a person that isn't." Bring it, follow the message with it, write in it, highlight it, know it.
Yes, using the Bible app on your phone is just fine. But if you're like me, the digital distraction is way too strong for my own sense of willpower. Try it for a while. It's old school. Retro. And actually really helpful.
SECOND - it's powerful to have a centralized location (a notebook, journal, etc.) where your spiritual life is cataloged, recorded, reviewable, and at your fingertips. Get a notebook that you like, bring it every Sunday, take notes in it, then use the same notebook for your personal devotional journaling throughout the week.
Imagine at the end of the year having a journal that's entitled "2023"? And you can look back on the year in faith and see how God has caused you to grow? Imagine having a shelf full of notebooks in a few years? It's worth it. And much easier to follow and track than the paper handouts we give out every week.
THIRD - the money, effort, and work-hours devoted to creating, editing, printing, and folding the handouts would quite honestly shock you. Not to mention the waste. It's time to make this shift. Seriously.
FOURTH - the outline will still be available on the Meadows App, if you're so inclined. So there's that, for those of you who prefer having the outline on you.
FIFTH - if you're unsure of what kind of notebook or journal to get, you can go to our Info Center in the lobby, where we have Lectio Divina Journals available for purchase (at cost, $15). Our volunteer team just got these exact same journals as a Christmas gift this past month, and they're really cool. They have simple daily devotionals with clear instructions, as well as weekly sections for Sunday sermon notes. A centralized location! Pretty cool, right? I'll be using it all next year as my personal journal. (We'll also have blank Meadows notebooks available for free to take as well!)
SIXTH - if you'd like to just sit and listen to a message -- with no note-taking or fill-ins or scribbles -- that's an option as well! There are some Sundays that I need exactly that -- to simply receive His goodness. Do that guilt-free, whenever it's needed.
It'll all start this Sunday, with a special service built around Communion, Baptisms, babies, and worship. It's going to be a good day!
__________________________________________________
Wasn't our Christmas Eve gathering awesome?? 2 packed services, with carols sung, games played, and a rendition of "Oh Holy Night" that I've seriously listened to five times since.
Thanks for coming and making Christmas Eve special! I pray your Christmas Day was just as sweet.
Thanks for coming and making Christmas Eve special! I pray your Christmas Day was just as sweet.
__________________________________________________
I pray you all have a great New Year celebration! I'm using the New York time zone again this year. I'll be in bed by 9:30 PM. Party animal, I know.
Join us the next day, January 1 at 11 AM! It's gonna be a great way to start the year. We even have a photographer to capture some of our sweet moments this Sunday.
Looking forward to seeing you all on the walkway, in 2023!
Pastor Ron
Join us the next day, January 1 at 11 AM! It's gonna be a great way to start the year. We even have a photographer to capture some of our sweet moments this Sunday.
Looking forward to seeing you all on the walkway, in 2023!
Pastor Ron
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