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2/23/2015 The Lighthouse - February 23, 2015  Church in the Snowy Street I hope everyone is safe and warm as the snow is melting and the roads have mostly cleared. Thanks be to God for all those who have worked on our behalf and at their own hazard to keep the roads passable and for the warmer temperatures and sunshine to melt the snow. As Courtney, the boys, and I - yes, little Seth too with his toy shovel - got a head start on digging out on Saturday afternoon while the snow still fell heavily, one of our neighbors came walking up the road and offered to give us a hand. Having been under the weather for the last few days, I was glad for the offer and, with his help, the boys and I made fairly quick work of it. On Sunday morning, it seemed that the most of our street was out working from one driveway to the next helping each other out. While no Scriptures were read or prayers offered (at least verbally - we may have each been praying for our backs to hold out), it was in a way a gathering of God's people. As I headed out to check on a few things, I saw one of our neighbors heading over to one of the few driveways left - one at the home of an elderly neighbor who cannot do her own digging. As I drove through Port Republic, I saw church members out helping others in the community to dig out. All of this reminded me of all the times that I have seen neighbors banding together to overcome weather-related adversity: the Mennonite neighbors plowing the driveways of elderly neighbors, young children offering to help older neighbors as they shovel out snow, folks gathering to clear downed trees blocking the road after the derecho, and neighbors opening up their homes to others who have lost power and have no auxiliary heat. There is something about storms like these that bring out the best in us and help us to be the community - the people of God - that we should be everyday. What is it about our everyday lives that stands in the way of these kinds of moments? Is it the busyness? Is the obligation to be here, there, and everywhere at this time or another? Is it the tendency to hide our problems and our needs from one another - something we can't do with that a mound of snow in our driveways? Storms like yesterday's snow are a blessed reminder from God that we are all in the trials and joys of life together and that perhaps we'd all be better off if we banded together to shovel the messes of our lives together while sharing good conversation, getting to know each other better, and simply enjoying each other's company in the midst of life's challenges. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. Acts 2:44-47 Blessings on the Journey, Pastor Jim  Worship This Week: Sin - Fear Before the Fall After missing a couple of Sundays of worship due to weather, we will hopefully be back together this Sunday to worship, to share communion, and to finally kick off our Lenten worship series on "Sin." We are still working to reschedule Youth Sunday that we missed the last couple of weeks, so be on the lookout for the new date in the coming weeks. Sin - it's a such simple word for when do wrong, and yet we know all too well the havoc it wreaks in our lives. Often, we'd much rather avoid the topic altogether and pretend it didn't affect our lives, but when we do, we let it have even more power over our lives. This Sunday, we will begin our Lenten series "Sin" by looking at what leads us to sin in the first place. We will also have an opportunity to lay the sins that burden our lives upon the cross to help us make a new beginning of repentance and renewal in our lives. Join us in worship as we seek to better understand sin so that we can overcome it through the power of God in our lives. Confirmation Class Begins March 1 Confirmation Class is an opportunity we give for our youth to explore questions about our faith and to ask questions of their own. It is our hope that, through discussions about these questions with one another, they will think about how they want to live their lives and how they are going to follow Jesus. Who is God? Who is Jesus? Who is the Spirit? Who are we? Why do we need God and Jesus? What does God want from us? What does it mean to be a Christian? In Confirmation Class, we will discuss these questions and others that the youth raise. Our class will meet on Sunday evenings at Ciro’s in Grottoes from 6 to 7:15 pm beginning March 1 and ending March 22. Wednesday at the Port This Week: Brinner Is Back! Join us this Wednesday at 6 pm for brinner - breakfast for dinner, that is! We'll have pancakes, eggs, sausages, gravy and biscuits, and fruit. Please remember that, if the Rockingham County Schools are closed or release early due to weather that day, we cancel our Wednesday at the Port. We do not cancel for just a delayed start to the school day.  Thinking about Camp This Summer? Do you want your kids to have fun, make new friends, and grow in faith this summer? Camp Overlook offers Christian camp experience for various ages throughout the summer, and Port Church recognizes how a Camp Overlook experience can have a wonderful impact on a child. To help kids go to summer camp, PRUMC will pay the deposit of youth and church members as long as the registration is turned into the church office by 4/26/15. For more information, check out Camp Overlook online or contact Pastor Jim or Dinah in the church office. Happy camping! Living in Community
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