Friday, August 23, 2019


Loving and Learning in Lodi August 25 2019
          
            Ever been “body surfing”?  Did you know that Fire Ants can do it?  Yes, if you drop one ant in the water, and it's dead. Drop in a tablespoon of ants, and they live through interconnection.
            
            They know instinctively what Benjamin Franklin reminded his fellow patriots who were about to sign The Declaration of Independence: "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately."
          
            This week join us as we discover what the Apostle Paul teaches us about “Togetherness”.
                                                                         
                                                                          See You Sunday!                                                                                                                                            Rev. Donna Van Trees

Sunday, August 25, 2019
Liturgist:      Larry Cray                                                 Greeters: Larry & Connie Cray
                     Surely the Presence of the Lord                                                             #328
                     Help Us Accept Each Other                          verses 1 - 4                         #560
                     Sent Forth By God’s Blessing                       Verses 1 & 2                        #664

          
           Therefore, as a prisoner for the Lord, I encourage you to live as people worthy of the call you received from God. Conduct yourselves with all humility, gentleness, and patience. Accept each other with love, and make an effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit with the peace that ties you together. You are one body and one spirit, just as God also called you in one hope. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all, who is over all, through all, and in all.
          
           God has given his grace to each one of us measured out by the gift that is given by Christ. That’s why scripture says, When he climbed up to the heights, he captured prisoners, and he gave gifts to people.
          
           What does the phrase “he climbed up” mean if it doesn’t mean that he had first gone down into the lower regions, the earth? The one who went down is the same one who climbed up above all the heavens so that he might fill everything.
          
           He gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. His purpose was to equip God’s people for the work of serving and building up the body of Christ until we all reach the unity of faith and knowledge of God’s Son. God’s goal is for us to become mature adults—to be fully grown, measured by the standard of the fullness of Christ. As a result, we aren’t supposed to be infants any longer who can be tossed and blown around by every wind that comes from teaching with deceitful scheming and the tricks people play to deliberately mislead others. Instead, by speaking the truth with love, let’s grow in every way into Christ, who is the head. The whole body grows from him, as it is joined and held together by all the supporting ligaments. The body makes itself grow in that it builds itself up with love as each one does its part.

Leader:    The word of God for the people of God.                        People:    Thanks be to God.

THE CHURCH IN ACTION

Choir rehearses on Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. Join us!

Advent Devotional: We’ll be creating our own Advent Devotional for us to use during the 4 weeks of Advent in December this year. Each week will have a theme based on the candle we lit in worship on that Sunday: Candle of Hope, Candle of Peace, Candle of Joy, and Candle of Love. Start pondering what you’d like to contribute: a personal story on one of the themes, a favorite poem, hymn, song, or a favorite devotion from some other source. Please include a short closing prayer. Remember that your devotion needs to fit on a half sheet of 8 ½ x 11 paper. Larry Scott will be in Fellowship Hall to sign you up on August 18th & 25th. The deadline for turning in your devotion is Sunday, October 6th. You may email it to Dottie Kimble at mywifedot@aol.com or give her a hard copy at any time.
ADULT STUDY OPPORTUNITY – “ENTERING THE PSALMS” - a 7-week adult study on the Psalms. The spiritual formation study is by Mary Lou Redding and includes short reflective, devotional readings five days a week, in-class sharing and lectio divina reading in class. Personal workbook fee: $6. Sign up in Fellowship Hall or contact Pastor Diane at 719-648-9065 or at dianebell7@msn.com. We will have a morning class on Tuesdays at 10-11:30 a.m. Classes begin on September 10th.
           September 10 – Intro – Worship               October 8NO CLASS
           September 17Psalms of Praise              October 15Psalms of Royalty
           September 24Psalms of Petition            October 22Psalms of Wisdom
           October 1Psalms of Pilgrimage               October 29Psalms of Faith & Trust

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