The Messenger - March 17, 2010 - Clearing out
The Messenger
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Clearing Out
By the time most of you read this, Kim, Andrew, and I will be "refugees" from termites and other bugs that have invaded our condominiums. We will have double bagged all our perishables--even items in the freezer. We will have double bagged our medicines, we will have double bagged our spices, and we will have pitched out any "ingestible" that remain. Then, we will pack our bags and "move in" with the Loyds for 3 days while heavy canvas tents encase our condo and pesticides are pumped within it.
To my knowledge, the Hebrew people did not practice fumigation, but they did make a practice of clearing out their kitchens every single year in preparation for the Passover. All "chametz" (leavened food) was removed, all utensils were thoroughly cleaned, and all cooking and dining areas were thoroughly swept. The Bible tells us that Jesus celebrated Passover (in a borrowed room) on the night he was betrayed, so someone must have cleaned it very well.
The Christian church has long proclaimed that these weeks leading up to Easter are a fine time to "clean up" our souls. In order to fully savor the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we need to clean up bad habits, and we need to clear out the "stinking thinking" that often lays us low. Thoughts like "I can't make a difference" or "I know it will turn out badly" chew up our emotional energy just like termites chew up wood. And bad choices of eating, sleeping, and exercise chew up our physical energy, as well.
So, perhaps this is a good time to clean up your spiritual house, setting a new schedule for exercise and study while while turning off the television or pushing back from the table now and then. Now that the time has changed, this might be a wonderful season to start a daily walk. And it might be a very fine time to resume an old hobby that used to bring you joy.
Clearing out slothful habits--like clearing out deep cabinets--can be a lot of work, but the benefits of this labor may endure for years to come. So, why don't you give a shot?
Have a great week!
p.s. I appreciate everyone who attended the cell tower forum last Monday morning. Several people asked good questions, and each speaker was accorded respect. We plan to host another forum (at a more convenient time) before our Session votes upon this issue.
N.A.N.
| Weekly Calendar | ||||
| Mar. 18 | ||||
| Thursday | 11:30 AM | Forever Young Luncheon | ||
| 7:30 PM | Chancel Choir | |||
| Friday | 6:00 PM | Co-Op Hall Set-up | ||
| 7:30 PM | Youth Hang-Out | |||
| Saturday | 12:00 PM | Co-Op in McDonald Hall | ||
| Sunday | 8:30 AM | Adult Sunday School | ||
| 9:30 AM | Worship | |||
| Monday | 7:00 PM | Women's Bible Study | ||
| 7:30 PM | Nar-anon | |||
| Wednesday | 7:00 AM | Bible Study at Carrow's | ||
| 1:00 PM | Women's Bible Study | |||
| 4:00 PM | AWANA for Children | |||
| 4:00 PM | Gospel Gang | |||
| 4:30 PM | Cherub Choir | |||
| 5:00 PM | Angel Choir | |||
| 5:30 PM | King's Chorus | |||
| 6:30 PM | Boy Scouts | |||
| 6:30 PM | JR High Fellowship | |||
| 6:30 PM | SonLight Singers | |||
| 7:00 PM | Chapel Bells | |||
| 7:00 PM | Prayer Group | |||
Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a Contest he was asked to judge.
The purpose of the Contest was to find the most caring child.
Here are the 2 winners:
Teacher Debbie Moon's first graders were discussing a picture of a family. One little boy in the picture had a different hair color than the other members. One of her students suggested that he was adopted.
A little girl said, "I know all about Adoption, I was adopted."
"What does it mean to be adopted?", asked another child.
"It means', said the girl, "that you grew in your mommy's heart instead of her tummy!"
An eye witness account from New York City , on a cold day in December, some years ago.
A little boy, about 10-years-old, was standing before a shoe store on the
roadway, barefooted, peering through the window, and shivering with cold.
A lady approached the young boy and said, "My, but you're in such deep thought staring in that window!"
"I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes," was the boy's reply.
The lady took him by the hand, went into the store, and asked the clerk to get half a dozen pairs of socks for the boy. She then asked if he could give her a basin of water and a towel. He quickly brought them to her. She took the little fellow to the back part of the store and, removing her gloves, knelt down, washed his little feet, and dried them with the towel.
By this time, the clerk had returned with the socks. Placing a pair upon the boy's feet, she purchased him
a pair of shoes. She tied up the remaining pairs of socks and gave them to him.
She patted him on the head and said, "No doubt, you will be more comfortable now."
As she turned to go, the astonished kid caught her by the hand, and looking up into her face, with tears
in his eyes, asked her.
"Are you God's wife?"
Until next time!
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Page Last Updated: Wed Mar 17, 2010