| Pastor's Corner |
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| Dear Saints at BPC, |
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| "Dinnertime Attention Grabber" |
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| When Jesus noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." Luke 14:7-14 |
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| Being humiliated is no fun … but, acting more distinguished than we are, is no fun for everyone else. |
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| I used to wonder why Jesus waited and then "set them up" as he did ("… [first] Jesus noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, [then] he told them this parable…" v.7). Now, there is no doubt in my mind why Jesus waited. He wanted them to remember the lesson. Often times, the best way to teach a point is through an action. If that action is embarrassing and un-nerving, all the better. I have learned many things from God; and one of them is that God has a mighty and roving classroom. I have learned that in God's classroom, anything goes. God has often "set me up" through my mistakes; then, God's lessons become concrete/eternal. Many times I have screamed-out-silently in my head, after my latest blunder, "I never want to feel this way again!" Boom! Lesson learned. |
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| I am probably not telling you anything you do not already know. But there is a twist on this process. Did you make your last humiliating mistake, or did God let you make it, so that God could teach you through it? In the long run, it does not matter which way it went down, nearly as much as our willingness to learn from God when God is teaching. Here is the key - a willingness to learn from God. That willingness gets us right back to the humbleness thing - just like the chairs at a banquet - a humble follower of Christ will hear him speaking loud and clear … and a prideful banquet guest will just hear an old story about dinner and seats, and just keep sitting where they are at. |
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| What's cooking? Is there an area in your life where God wants you to serve instead of being served? Waiter? |
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| In Christ's Power and Grace, |
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| Pastor Jim |
| Villiage Singers Spring Show |
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| Saturday, May 10th, 7 pm |
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| Musical Review "What's Poppin?" |
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| This musical will include familiar songs and original music by Composer/Director John Carter with lyrics and book by Mary Kay Beall. Carter and Beall have been a professional writing team since 1978 with hundreds of published songs to their credit. They are well-known for many of their original shows. |
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| Some of you attended the Christmas show last year and rode down on the Bexley Beat Bus that picked us up at Church, they dropped us off & picked us up after the show and brought us back to the Church lot. |
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| Many of you wanted to know about the Spring Show - here is your chance to make show and bus reservations - Pastor John, Karen Chitu and Nancy Hartmann are part of the Village Singers. |
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| Call the Church (614-235-3451) to get more info or to make reservations. Cost is $20 per person, which includes the bus fare down and the ticket charge for the program. |
| Worship Ministry Unit Update |
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| "Lenten Discipline time" is here again. February 6th Ash Wednesday service held with a light supper followed by Communion Service in Fellowship Hall. |
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| Remember: Wednesday Noon Services in Chapel followed by light lunch in Strickland Room. Wednesday Evening Services at 7 pm in Chapel during Lent (2/13/08-3/12/08). |
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| Maundy Thursday (3/20/08) Communion Service with "washing of feet" 7:30 pm in Sanctuary. |
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| Good Friday (3/21/08) Noon Chapel Service. |
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| Excerpt from Presbyterians today: |
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| It hardly seems right. Just weeks ago Jesus was a babe in a manager; now he makes his way to the cross. But God is ever revealed where least expected. With Jacob we can exclaim "Surely the Lord is in this place - and I did not know it. (Genesis 28:16) |
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| Ash Wednesday read Mark 1:9-13 |
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| The spirit speaks of love one moment, then drives Jesus into a place of fear. But Jesus is not alone: "Angels waited on him." Often we think of wings, but in Hebrew "angel" means messenger. |
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| Some early Christians fled to the desert to imitate Jesus. Stories tell of them receiving bread or prayerful attention. Could it be that some who saw Jesus' baptism were his angels, his good Samaritans, tending to him in a time of need? |
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| Living Lent is not a solitary discipline. We worship together weekly... We pray for those we know and with those we don't know. We walk through Lent with angels waiting on us, and being angels to others. |
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| Lord, may we be messengers of the gospel that others have shared with us. Amen |
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| To find more of this Lenten Devotional, visit www.pcusa.org/today. |
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| **Remember to recycle your newspapers. Our Worship Unit appreciates your support!** |
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| Your Worship Ministry Unit: |
| Loraine Tarrent, Helen Huntley, Ron Gooslin, Nancy Hartmann, Paul Markoff Jr. with help from Todd Beittel, Mike Hoy & Dale Garber |
