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1/27/2016 0 Comments The Lighthouse - January 27, 2016 House Church What a snow storm we had this past weekend! I hope that you came through it no worse for wear and that the snow on your road and driveway is melting quickly. Once we knew that the storm was going to be as big as had been predicted and that we wouldn't be able to dig out in time for worship on Sunday, our family made plans to have church at home. We have done this on snow days past and have enjoyed the time together as family. It's not anything too formal - light a candle, read a Scripture or two, talk about it together for a few minutes, pray (especially for those working to clear the snow), and sing a couple of songs. Our older boys have enjoyed this so much in the past that they had suggested that we invite the neighbors over to join us when we all have cancelled services. So that's what we did this weekend. We invited everyone on our block to come over around 10:30 for some house church. Come Sunday morning, three other families joined ours for a time of worshipping together. In fact, one of our neighbors - a saint of a man - walked down the street to help one of our elderly neighbors make her way safely to our house so that she would not slip. The ages ranged from 2 to 94. It was a great time of worship together. Our boys read Scripture, we all took turns praying, and Courtney played piano and a couple of the neighbors shared songs on the guitar. It did not matter that we were from different churches - even different denominations. It did not matter that we had kids coloring and playing in the middle of the floor while the adults talked and sang. As Paul wrote to the Galatians, there are neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female in Christ because we are all one (3:28). I give thanks for good neighbors and for the Spirit of God that is present wherever only a handful are gathered! If you would be interested in planning house church for your family (and maybe even neighbors) in the case of a future snow day, please let me know and I will be glad to get some things together to help. Blessings on the journey, Jim Worship This WeekWith our worship service having been cancelled on Sunday due to snow, we will push forward with our series "Forgotten Folks of Faith" this Sunday by looking at someone who had little to offer to God but gave what they could anyway. Join us this Sunday as we hear the story of "The Broke"! Super Bowl Sunday Is ComingThe Super Bowl is coming, and it's time to choose your side - Broncos or Panthers! Share which team you'll be cheering and help them win the Port Church Super Bowl by bringing in any of the items listed below for worthy causes in our community! Boxes marked with each team's logo will be placed in the vestibule at the church both this Sunday and next. Place your items in your team's box and stay tuned to find out who will win! South River Elementary Clothes Closet Underpants for SPED Kids – medium men and ladies Underpants for Girls & Boys – size 10-12 & 14 Sweat Pants & Leggings (Dark Colors) – all sizes are needed, but the kids are K-5 AVA Care Diapers – size 3 and 4 – (although all sizes are appreciated Newborn – Size 5) Food Pantry This time of year we see a lot more people, so they will take can fruit, can vegetables, cereal, soup, spaghetti & sauce, crackers, etc. Living in Community
This Week at Port ChurchWednesday, January 27 9:30 am - 2:00 pm - Office Hours 6:00 pm - Wednesday at the Port Thursday, January 28 9:30 am - 12:00 noon - Office Hours Sunday, January 31 9:30 am - Worship Service "Forgotten Folks of Faith: The Broke" 11:00 am - Sunday School Looking Ahead
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1/19/2016 0 Comments January 19th, 2016 It Takes a Village (Church) At the end of our worship service on Sunday, Kendra shared with us her plans to move in the coming month to take a new job - an exciting prospect for her and a sad time for those of us who have seen grow over the years, even decades. As we blessed her on her journey, her father offered thanks to our congregation for all the ways you have helped her to become the wonderful woman she is by quoting the old adage: "It takes a village to raise a child." I was struck by his words, because I have been giving this wisdom a lot of thought myself lately. Here at Port Church, we are blessed that God has sent so many children our way. We often have twenty-five kids and fifteen youth in our Wednesday night program, and twenty to thirty kids and youth in worship with us on Sundays. Some come with their families, as friends of some of the kids of our congregation, or on the bus that we send out to give them a ride. Regardless of how they get to our church, they all come with needs - a need to learn about God, to be loved, to know they are safe, to be able to ask whatever questions they have, to have opportunities to serve others, to be a part of something that truly matters. Whatever home life these kids may have, they all need the church to be a home for them as well. After all, it takes a village (even better, a village church) to raise a chiild. We are responsible to God for how we serve these kids and what we do for and with them while they are with us. In this new year, I challenge us to find ways to invest out time and devotion in all the kids that God is sending our way. Some of these ways may be things we are already doing, and we just need to make sure to do them for all the kids and that we are not letting any of them slip through the cracks. Perhaps some of the ways God is calling us to serve these kids are new things we haven't yet tried. Perhaps some of you could act like a grandparent or a big brother or sister for one of the kids who comes alone. Perhaps a group of you would take our kids out fishing or to a ball game. How can we invest out time and care in these kids so that their lives will be changed? I invite you to be open to God's calling on all of us to be the village church with a mission to the world, especially its children! Blessings on the journey, Jim Forgotten Folks of Faith Join us in worship over the coming weeks as we look at the stories of some of the forgotten folks of faith that God used to do amazing things! Last Sunday's Sermon Snippet: The Maid (II Kings 5:1-14) "There is a reason for everything that happens." These words are offered up by well-meaning folks any time we face difficult situations in life, but sometimes it seems that bad things happen as a result of our mistakes or the mistakes of someone with whom we cross paths. Although God may not have had a reason for it to happen, God often will redeem the situation by making a reason for it - using a bad situation to create something good. Whether God had a reason for something bad to happen to us or if it's the natural consequence of sin in the world, it's hard not to question God or grow bitter in the midst of difficult situations. Did the young woman serving Naaman's wife bemoan her situation - abducted by a foreign army, carried to a foreign land, and forced into service in a foreign home? It's hard to believe that she would not have wondered why such things would have happened to her and why God had not rescued her. Yet in her difficult situation, she rose above her self-pity and offered to Naaman - a powerful general suffering from leprosy - the hope of God's prophet in Israel who would be able to heal him. God redeemed her suffering to bring healing to one who was willing to embrace the living God. We often wish that things in our lives had not happened or that things would have gone differently, but that is not our choice. What we can choose - like this maid in Naaman's household - is what to do with the time given to us in the situations in which we find ourselves. May we live in faith and share the hope and love of God with those who find themselves in life's difficult situations alongside us. Looking Ahead What do I have to offer God? What can I possibly do that would make any difference in the world? After all, I am not particularly rich, powerful, skilled, or talented to be special enough to do anything that really matters. Have you ever wondered what difference everyday kind of people like us can make? Join us this Sunday as we hear the story of "The Broke" whose offering made all the difference in the world! Wednesday at the PortJoin us this Wednesday evening for a wonderful taco salad, even better fellowship, and classes for children and youth! To-go boxes available for shut-ins. Please let the church office know by 2 pm on Wednesday if you or someone you know is in need of a meal. Living in Community
This Week at Port ChurchWednesday, January 20 9:30 am - 2:00 pm - Office Hours 6:00 pm - Wednesday at the Port Thursday, January 21 9:30 am - 12:00 noon - Office Hours 10 am - Sunshine Seniors Sunday, January 24 9:30 am - Worship Service "Forgotten Folks of Faith: The Broke" Looking Ahead
1/13/2016 0 Comments January 13th, 2016 The Empty Sanctuary No lights streaming from the altar rail, no nativity scene adorning the table, no tree standing guard in the corner with its white and gold Chrismons and tiny twinkles of white light, no poinsettias setting blazing like fire in the chancel area, no candles in the windows, no Advent wreath counting down the weeks. It was odd to be back in our sanctuary for worship this past Sunday with all of the decorations from Advent and Christmas packed away. There was definitely a certain emptiness to the sanctuary without all of it. Yet we had such a wonderful crowd of folks - kids, youth, adults, and seniors alike! For all its emptiness of sights of the holiday season, our sanctuary was filled with the warmth of fellowship, joyful singing, and prayerful presence. Perhaps our sanctuary was not so empty after all, because it was filled to overflowing with God's Spirit in God's people. In the midst of the cold and gloomy winter, I am thankful for a sanctuary filled with what truly matters - good people, good faith, and good worship! Blessings on the journey, Jim Forgotten Folks of Faith Join us in worship over the coming weeks as we look at the stories of some of the forgotten folks of faith that God used to do amazing things! Last Sunday's Sermon Snippet: The Midwives (Exodus 1) Shiphrah and Puah were two midwives simply trying to do their jobs - to help babies be born safely and to protect the lives of the mothers in the process. That is, until the pharaoh gave them an order that went against everything they stood for. Threatened by the growing numbers of the Israelites in their midst in Egypt, the pharaoh commanded the midwives to kill all the male infants that they delivered. They were caught in a dilemma: do what they knew to be wrong or risk their own lives by doing what was right. These remarkable women knew what they had to do but came up with a clever third way to avoid losing their lives and exposed the pharaoh's evil for what it was. When the ruler demanded to know why they had not followed through on his order, the midwives responded that the Israelite women were more vigorous ("beastly") than Egyptian women and delivered before they could arrive. Their response - perhaps a bit untruthful - points to the larger truth that the pharaoh is treating the Israelite people as mere beasts rather than human and that the force of Life is on the side of the oppressed. By finding a third way, these heroes of faith stand defiant of the pharaoh while preserving their own lives and are rewarded for their faithfulness to God. As we face seemingly overwhelming dilemmas in life, may we remember these midwives who show us the third way that is faithful to God and reveals the evil of the world for what it is. Looking Ahead Have you ever wondered why God lets us be in the places we are in life? Have you ever thought you are too unimportant to make a difference in the world for God? Join us this Sunday as hear the story of a maid who becomes a hero - one of our Forgotten Folks of Faith! Wednesday at the Port resumes this week!Wednesday at the Port is back for those cold, dark winter months. Join us each Wednesday at 6 pm for a hearty, warm meal and great fellowship. Classes for children and youth of all ages are available. We are in need of volunteers to help serve and clean up for the meal. See Sue Good if you can help out one or more weeks. Living in Community
This Week at Port ChurchTuesday, January 12 6:00 pm - Finance Committee 7:00 pm - Administrative Council Wednesday, January 13 9:30 am - 2:00 pm - Office Hours 6:00 pm - Wednesday at the Port Thursday, January 14 9:30 am - 12:00 noon - Office Hours 7:30 pm - SPRC Meeting Sunday, January 17 9:30 am - Worship Service "Forgotten Folks of Faith: The Maid" Looking Ahead
1/6/2016 0 Comments January 06th, 2016 Good Peoples "Those are good peoples! That's good family!" As our van pulled out of the driveway and headed out of the cul-de-sac at the beginning of a ten-hour trip home, our toddler shared his thoughts on the five days spent with my sister and her family. I have to say that I agree with his assessment. It was great to be with my family in Georgia over this last week, and I am thankful to everyone who took care of things in my absence to make this time away possible. While I often joke (sometimes seriously) about the stresses of being with family and the tensions that can arise when too many people gather in too small a space for too long a time, family at its best is a wonderful thing! When we laugh together and cry together, when we share our victories and mourn our losses, when we dream of possibilities and encourage each other to go for it, when we cook and eat together or simply sit in each other's company, it is a beautiful thing. I am thankful to have such family even if we only get to see them once or twice a year. Part of living together in community is to be just such this type of family for each other. Like all families, there will be times in the church when we will disagree or disappoint each other. But at our best, we are to be a family that loves one another, sticks with each other through thick and thin, and at the end of the day puts aside our differences to walk with each other along life's journey. After all, we're all in this together! May God grant us the grace to be "good peoples" for one another! Blessings on the journey, Jim Worship this Week: Forgotten Folks of Faith When we read through the Bible or hear Scriptures in worship, the big names often jump out at us: Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Moses, David, Elijah, Isaiah, Mary and Joseph, Jesus, Peter, James, John, and Paul to name a few. But there are so many more folks in the Bible - many who enter only for a verse and two and are lay forgotten among the pages of our Scriptures. Over the next few weeks, we will hear some of the stories of some of these "Forgotten Folks of Faith" and what they have to teach us! We kick off this Sunday with the story of two forgotten women just trying to do their jobs and forced into a difficult moral dilemma. Will they choose the thing they know is wrong as they are told or do the right thing that could risk them their own lives? What consequences might they face if they dare defy those in charge? Join us this Sunday as we hear the story of "The Midwives"! Bible Blast 31With the new year under way, we are into our Bible Blast 31 - a month-long journey through the Bible. If you haven't joined in yet, it's not too late! You can start today with Day 1 and finish up in early February. The reading plan and helpful notes on each day's readings are available on our Bible Blast 31. Living in Community
This Week at Port ChurchWednesday, January 6 9:30 am - 2:00 pm - Office Hours Thursday, January 7 9:30 am - 12:00 noon - Office Hours Sunday, January 10 9:30 am - Worship Service with Communion "Forgotten Folks: The Midwives" Looking Ahead
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January 2019
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