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Newsletter>
Pastor Craigs notes; Easter information
April 3, 2006
PASTOR CRAIG’S NOTES
Have you been watching all the transformation happening
around you? Spring is the time when the world goes through
a great change. All the browns and grays are being replaced
with greens and other colors. The land reawakens from the
cold to warm air and finally some much needed rain. Even
the black of scorched earth is replaced by new growth.
Nature has within this yearly cycle a truth we can learn.
No matter how bleak our winters may have been, there is
always the ability for spring. God gives to each of us a
promise that new life is always a possibility.
In the book of Romans, Paul gives us his explanation of
Baptism. He understands it to be a moment of time where our
very nature is changed. We no longer look back on our
former lives in sin, but we transform into our new life. We
exit our winter and enter our spring. Our sin forgiven and
we now live to Christ.
Christ walking out of the tomb proved that sin and death no
longer holds us. We are free to walk with Christ in this
new springtime. Each of us is no longer to wear our old
winter clothes, but to put on the newness that comes from
Christ. We are new beings. We blossom and grow in the
warmth of God.
Praying for you as I hope that you are praying for me.
Craig
Easter
Cantata
presented by the
First Christian Church and
First United Methodist Church
Sunday April 9, 2006 3:00 p.m.
refreshments will be provided following the performance.
MEMBERSHIP / EVANGELISM TEAM REPORT
The Membership and Evangelism Committee met March 6 and
planned to host the Fellowship Dinner March 26 on Bring a
Friend Sunday.
After several items of business, the team began
proofreading the new directory.
The pictorial directory will be available soon. The cost
for this first director with binder will be $10.00.
Please contact Craig (276-3093) or Alice (276-5486) if you
want a copy. There will also be copies of a plain directory
available also.
OUTREACH NEWS
The Big 5 Clothing Room needs several items such as:
laundry detergent, bath soap, toilet paper, dish soap,
personal hygiene items like toothpaste and toothbrush,
floss, deodorant, hand soap, body or hand lotions, dishes,
pots and pans, utensils (kitchen items in general).
Please help if you can. A container will be provided near
the bulletin board to collect these items. Thank you for
your help.
EASTER EGG HUNT
The Disciples Junior Youth will be sponsoring the Annual
Easter Egg Hunt. The hunt will take place immediately
following church on Easter Sunday.
If you would like to donate individually wrapped candy
please bring it to the church the Sunday before Easter. We
have plenty of plastic eggs.
Also, if you have an extra Easter basket that we may use in
case of visitors we would ask that you bring that as well.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
JULY 10 - 15, 2006
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
APRIL CWF MEETING CANCELED
Our regular CWF meeting was scheduled for Sunday April 9,
2006, but due to a conflict with the Cantata performance,
the meeting has been canceled. Our next meeting will be in
May. Stay tuned for more details.
Welcome
Allison Faith Ward
March 22, 2006
5 lbs 4 oz
MAUNDAY THURSDAY ~ SEDER DINNER
Our annual Seder Dinner and Maunday Thursday service will
be Thursday April 13, 2006 at 6:30 p.m., at the First
Christian Church. The First United Methodist Church will
be joining us thus year for the dinner and service.
Maunday Thursday is the night the last supper between Jesus
and his disciples took place. The Seder Dinner represents
the traditional Passover meal. Each element of the meal
has significance. The Lamb (we use turkey) applies to the
Lamb of sacrifice as well as to the deliverance from Egypt
and to the feast itself. Unleavened bread (Matzoh) called
"bread of affliction" because it recalls the unleavened
bread prepared for the hasty flight by night from Egypt.
Bitter herbs (Moror) is a reminder of the bitterness of
slavery and suffering in Egypt. Green herbs to be dipped
in salt water. Salt water represents tears of sorrow shed
during the captivity of the Lord's people. Haroseth salad
represents the mortar used by Jews in building palaces and
pyramids of Egypt during their slavery. (It is a mixture of
chopped apples, nuts, and cinnamon.) Wine (juice) is
dipped from a common bowl. The 'Four Cups,' Thanksgiving,
Hagadah ('telling'), Blessing, and Melchisedek
('righteousness'), are "four different words for
redemption, spoken by God to Moses."
GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE
The Friday before Easter Sunday is known as Good Friday or
Dark Friday. Good Friday is the anniversary of the death of
Jesus on the cross. In this day we remember the cruel
death of Jesus Christ on the Cross. He loved us so much
that he was willing to take on the sin of the world and die
for us, so whoever believes in Him can have eternal life.
Jesus was Crucified on Good Friday and died on the Cross
for the Sin of the World. He rose from dead on Easter
Sunday.
We will be having a joint Good Friday service with the
First United Methodist Church on Friday April 14, 2006 at
6:30 p.m. The service will be held at the Methodist
Church. We hope everyone can attend.
EASTER BREAKFAST
Our annual Easter Breakfast will be at 9:00 a.m. Sunday
April 16, 2006. There will be a sign up sheet in the
kitchen for those interested in bringing items for the
breakfast. This is always a wonderful time of fellowship
and great food. We invite everyone to attend and bring
your family and friends. Our morning worship service will
follow the breakfast.
BETRAYED
Scripture: John 13 : 21 - 30
21 When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in the spirit,
and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you,
that one of you shall betray me. 22 The disciples looked
one on another, doubting of whom he spake. 23 There was at
the table reclining in Jesus' bosom one of his disciples,
whom Jesus loved. 24 Simon Peter therefore beckoneth to
him, and saith unto him, Tell (us) who it is of whom he
speaketh. 25 He leaning back, as he was, on Jesus' breast
saith unto him, Lord, who is it? 26 Jesus therefore
answereth, He it is, for whom I shall dip the sop, and give
it him. So when he had dipped the sop, he taketh and giveth
it to Judas, (the son) of Simon Iscariot. 27 And after the
sop, then entered Satan into him. Jesus therefore saith
unto him, What thou doest, do quickly. 28 Now no man at the
table knew for what intent he spake this unto him. 29 For
some thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus said
unto him, Buy what things we have need of for the feast;
or, that he should give something to the poor. 30 He then
having received the sop went out straightway: and it was
night. (ASV)
Few things do as much damage as treason. In war, thousands
of lives can be lost, and perhaps even the whole course of
the war can be changed, by the act of one well-placed
traitor. In a relationship treachery can bring great
sadness, depression, ruin, and even suicide. In business,
someone sells a secret formula and the company can be
destroyed.
The friend is in the best position to bring about someone's
downfall. The friend has a stake in that person, but a
shift of loyalty happens and now the stake is in that
person's downfall. The friend has the knowledge, the
experience, and the trust to accomplish what massive
assaults by outsiders often cannot accomplish. A stranger
has less to gain.
Jesus was heading into difficult times. The world would
dump all sorts of evils on Him. Torture; accusations;
sudden rises and falls in popularity; being at the mercy of
an enemy who has no mercy; and in the end, a barbarous
execution. But it started with a kiss from a friend and
follower, from the one entrusted with their money. It
started, as it had to, with one most emotionally brutal
thing : Jesus was betrayed.
For all the inner (and outer) destruction that betrayal can
bring about, there was one thing it could not do. It could
not stop Jesus. Jesus' way could not be blocked by being
betrayed, or tortured, or even killed. Indeed, the deepest
evils on earth would only be a road, a pathway Jesus would
take to get to the most ultimate victory of all. We all
should feel some part of the bitterness Jesus got, and know
that we each did our part to bring it about, and that God
loved us enough to place our burdens on his son.
APRIL
BIRTHDAYS
*9*Tammy Landgraf
*13*Agnes Anderson
*17*Gwen Bailey
*18*Lee Pierce
JOYS & CONCERNS
Louise Harkey
Verna McCain
Sybile Askew
Jodie Hall
Agnes Anderson
Jesse Barr
Mary Harper
Catherine Gollan
THANK YOU!
To everyone who provided cookies or cake for our after
church fellowship during March. Florine Hill, Yvone & Phil
McGinnis, and Carrie Rutherford.
APRIL COOKIE /
CAKE SIGN UP
4/2**Darlene Beardsley
4/9**Yvone McGinnis
4/16*EASTER BREAKFAST
4/23*Curtis Cochran
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