March 20th, 2017

Getting Together

When I was growing up, it was always special day when we would "get together!" When Mama would tell us we were getting together today, she didn't have to say whom we were getting together with. I knew what she meant - our cousins were coming over to our house or we were going to theirs. We would play, fight and fuss a little, play some more, hear our mothers say it was time to go, and go hide and then play about another half hour or more while they continued to talk at the back steps. They were very special days, and thankfully they happened pretty often.

​In church, we call "getting together" fellowship, and it is an important part of what we do. It is a time when we build our relationships with one another, get to know one another better, make memories that will bind us together, and simply share life with one another. These are very special times, and even in the midst of the busyness of all the other things we do and plan for at church we need to make room for that.

That is what happened this past Friday night as a group of ladies got together for a Paint Night here at the church. It is my hope that over the course of this year we can make time to have more of these kind of opportunities. Is there something you would enjoy getting together to do? Hiking, crafting, playing games, going to a game or event? Please let me know if there is something you would enjoy getting together to spend time with each other and do.

​Blessings on the journey, Jim

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Facing the Music

The season of Lent is a time to focus on growing in our relationship with God. One of the things that holds us back in this relationship is sin that separates us from God. Over the next few weeks, we are going to look at the story of Adam, Eve, and their family to see how sin affected them and how God made room for salvation even in the midst of sin.

​Sunday's Sermon Snippet: Facing the Music (Genesis 3:14-24)
​After Adam and Eve had eaten of the forbidden fruit and hidden from each other, from God, and from their responsibility, God found them and spoke to them of the consequences of their sin. God told the serpent that people and snakes would forever be mortal enemies. To Eve, God pronounced the hard labor she would go through to create new life. To Adam, God showed how the very ground was cursed because of their sin and the hard work that would have to be done to grow food to eat. God then banished them from the Garden of Eden and sent them out into the harsher world that we know. The message here is clear: sin has consequences. We may try to convince ourselves sometimes that what we do is not hurting anyone else, but all sin has consequences and wide-ranging ones at that. It was not just the serpent and Adam and Eve that were affected but their offspring through all generations. Even the ground was cursed by this sin. Sin hurts us in all of our relationships and stretches its long tendrils out to claim more and more of the world. In addition, we see that God does not save them from these consequences. God may forgive them, but they must still face the consequences that they have unleashed on the world. All of this may seem harsh, but even in the midst of these judgments comes God's grace. God sees Adam and Eve, hiding in their shame behind meager fig leaves, and has mercy on them. God makes clothes of skins for them to protect them and keep them warm in the harsh world they are about to enter. Even in this first sin, God's grace is there to do for them what they need and cannot do for themselves. Even when God lets us face the consequences of our actions, God provides for a better future.

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Living in Community

​Congratulations and blessings to Celest on her new job serving our community!

​Thank you, Lee, for organizing our wonderful Paint Night last week!

​Thank you to all of the kids in our Little Fishermen class at Wednesday at the Port
​for putting together Blessing Kits for the Homeless and sharing them with us in worship!

This Week at Port Church

Monday, March 20
​9:30 am - Bible Study at Dianna's

Tuesday, March 21
7:00 pm - Bible Study at Dianna's
​7:00 pm - Administrative Council Meeting

Wednesday, March 22
6:00 - Wednesday at the Port
Menu: Taco Salad

Thursday, March 23
9:00 - 11:45 am - Office Hours
​7:00 pm - Trustees Meeting
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Sunday, March 26
9:30 am - Worship - "From Garden to Garden: Lurking at the Door"
11:00 am - Sunday School
4:00 pm - Confirmation Class at Ciro's
​6:30 pm - Financial Peace University

Looking Ahead

April 13 - Maundy Thursday
April 14 - Good Friday
April 16 - Easter Sunday
April 23 - Youth Sunday
​June 26-30 - Vacation Bible School