Sunday August 10

This Sunday we will continue our study of the Psalms with Psalm 42/43, which is considered to be a unit. Some indicators of this are: Psalm 42 has a superscription (title) and Psalm 43 does not. Both psalms share the same theme. Both psalms share the same refrain: "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God." (42.5,11, 43.5).
The title of the study is "How to Talk to Yourself", which is what the psalmist is doing in the refrain. More specifically we will discuss how to talk to yourself in a way that is encouraging and uplifting in times of trouble, and not in a way that allows you to wallow in self-pity. Sounds like fun, huh? The worship bulletin is here and has an outline of the psalm.

kindlejoy.com

kindlejoy.com is a website that facilitates the sharing of prayer requests. It is a way that we can support each other in prayer during the week. It is a place that we can share joys or concerns with our faith family. Send me your email address and I will send you an invitation to join our group. Or you can go to the group page and request membership.

Sunday August 3

This is communion Sunday. Info about communion is in the worship bulletin.
We also continue our study on the Psalms with Psalm 32. Psalm 32 is one of the penitential psalms that deal with repentance for sin. See also Psalm 38 and Psalm 51. The worship bulletin is here. There is an outline of Psalm 32 with notes in the bulletin.
Repentance/confession/self-examination are tied to communion. In 1 Corinthians 11.28, Paul says, "Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup." We will do just that this Sunday with the encouragement of David from Psalm 32.

More Photos

My photobucket now includes photos from the Tijuana 08 high school missions trip (more here), the Jr Hi Missions Project, bowling activity, and VBS (Tuesday and Wednesday).

A Few Days Off

I took Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday off this week. Mindy and I wanted to get started on a few projects around the house, and I needed to rest after 22 days straight with no day off. Our biggest project is REMOVING our hot tub. It is an above-ground tub that needs too much repair. It is always needing something and we are tired of fooling with it and pouring money into it. The hot tub is inside a gazebo, so that must go, too. Tyler started on it and I have taken a lot of it apart, also. We are almost to the point of thinking about how to move the tub itself. No simple task. There is wiring, plumbing, and the sheer weight of the thing to consider. Not to mention a couple of good-sized bushes that have grown up in front of it (right in our path of removal). We plan to leave a part of the gazebo in place. We are going to plant a vegetable garden where the hot tub is now.

Also, I was able to catch up on my sleep and my Halo3 playing (on x-box 360, of course). I REALLY enjoy playing Halo. I play only online (x-box live) and I usually only play Lone Wolves (every man for himself). This is my hobby, my one vice, my one addiction. Well, the only one I'll admit to.

Sunday, July 27

Pastor Ed (that's SENIOR PASTOR Ed to you) and I will be trading places this Sunday at church. Ed will preach in The Refuge and I will preach in the sanctuary. This may prove to be a lot of fun, or not. Of course, this means I will need to show up and preach at the 8:15 service in the chapel. I'm usually here at 8 to bring Tyler to rehearse, but this week he will be at band camp and so I COULD have come later.
I will preach on Psalm 3. My handout for the sanctuary is here. My message is "How to Deal with Hard Times". I think this is timely.
Ed is preaching on Daniel 3. The sermon title is "Seven Times Hotter". Here is the worship bulletin.

I've been really busy!

Sorry I haven't written anything the last couple of weeks. On June 29 we left Tucson for Tijuana for high school missions trip (photos are here and here). Then I got back in town and the next week (July 9-12) we had the jr. hi missions trip here in Tucson and I was one of the leaders for that. Then this week is VBS (photos are here and here). So, I've been swamped!
This Sunday we will consider Psalm 23. Psalm 23 almost suffers from over-exposure, but it is a favorite passage of Scripture that is rich in meaning and insight for our lives. The worship bulletin is here.

Jeremiah is preaching this Sunday

I will be in Tijuana with our high school missions team working with kids and building houses under the guidance of Youthworks, a great youth missions organization. Jeremiah will be preaching this Sunday, and I think he will be featuring a video clip called "Open", which is one of the Nooma videos by Rob Bell. I have always found the Noomas to be thought-provoking and faith-inspiring. This one is about prayer and why God doesn't seem to answer some prayers, and does seem to answer others. The Scriptures are:

James 5.14-16

Matthew 26.36-39

Psalm 13

Sunday June 22

This Sunday, we continue our study of the Psalms. Psalm 3 is our focus.
Normally, our experience informs our theology, our understanding of God. And this is natural and usually a good thing. John Wesley included experience as one of his sources in thinking about God and life. But, if we let experience alone inform our faith, then it is not faith at all. If we rely exclusively or mainly on our present experience, we can forget lessons we learned during other chapters of our lives. This is David’s point in Psalm 3: what he has come to know about God will not be overthrown by his current experience. Further, what he has come to know about God will inform his current situation.
David's current situation (at the time of the writing of Psalm 3) was a pretty dire one: he was king of Israel, but a coup was being led by his own son, Absalom, who wanted to kill David. (See 2 Samuel 15, 16) That pretty much beats any problem I've had. Maybe if I can see how David dealt with this problem, I can find a way to deal with my problems.
The worship bulletin is here.

Psalm 2 Sunday June 15

This week we continue our summer series on the Psalms. Psalm 2 is about authority. It's about who is in charge. It is about taking the lesson from Psalm 1 (life with God is better than life without God) and living it out.
Read Psalm 2.
Worship bulletin is here.

Sunday, June 8

This Sunday we start a summer study series on a few of the Psalms. We will start with Psalm 1 (big surprise, huh?). It is interesting that just about every commentator that I read considers Psalm 1 to be an introduction to the collection of psalms. It didn't just happen to be put at the front. The Psalms are a collection of poetry, usually used in worship. Psalm 1 has no title (or superscription)--the little caption under the chapter number.
Read Psalm 1
Check out a very similar passage Jeremiah 17.5-8
Worship bulletin

Psalm 1 teaches us a very simple lesson: life with God is better than life without God.

A friend of mine, Charley Hagley, sent me this video. You might find it a little cliche-ish, or maybe sentimental, but it is right on target. If you are a parent, check it out. Even if your kids are grown, it's not too late to spend time with them. Find something to do, find some way to connect, find some time for your kids.

Afterburner

During the summer months, we do not have dinner with youth group. We begin at 6pm (usually in Fellowship Hall) and end at 7:30. For many years (this tradition pre-dates Richard) Catalina youth have had an activity called “Afterburner” in the summer. This is an informal time of going out to eat after youth group. It is not officially part of youth group. Youth group is over at 7:30. Those going to Afterburner are responsible for their own transportation, and pay for whatever they order. Parents often transport youth—and we can usually find rides for whoever wants to go. Some youth eat dessert, some have a beverage, some eat a full meal. We go different places each week, but we try to balance out inexpensive and a little nicer places. Youth need to be picked up by their parents at the Afterburner location at 9pm (or earlier if we are finished). We do not bring youth back to the church for pick up. A tentative schedule is here:

June 7 Johnny Rockets (University and Euclid)
June 14 Applebee's (Grant and Swan)
June 28 In-N-Out (El Con)
July 12 Bowling
July 19 Rubio's (El Con)
August 2 Sweet Tomatoes (Broadway and Wilmot)
August 9 Red Lobster (Park Mall)

What Does God Think about You?

This is a good question to spend some time meditating on. What does God think about you? DOES God think about you? Is God disappointed with you? Does God desire something radically different for your life, and you have no idea?
This is our study for this Sunday.
Here is the worship bulletin.
These are the Scriptures:
John 1.12
Romans 8.16-17
Ephesians 1.3-6
Galatians 4.4-7
Mark 1.11
Matthew 4.1-11
Matthew 11.28-30

Here is the point: at Jesus' baptism, God the Father named him as God's beloved child. We see in the Scriptures that we are adopted as children of God. Then who are we? We are also named as God's beloved child. The Scripture goes on to say that God is very pleased with Jesus. As God's children, God is also very pleased with us. That's what God thinks about you: You are his beloved child and God is very pleased with you!
After receiving this name, Jesus was tempted TO PROVE WHO HE WAS BY PERFORMING. We face this every day. But we do not have to prove we are acceptable, lovable, or good enough.

This is our creed for this Sunday:

I believe in God the Father who has named me as his beloved child. I believe God is very pleased with me.

I believe in Jesus Christ who frees me from the need to earn love by how I perform. I believe Jesus demonstrated how much God loves me and how important I am to God by giving his life for me.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, who will remind me I am God’s beloved child if I will be still and listen.

I believe in God’s holy church. I will recognize those around me as God’s beloved children, and I will allow myself to acknowledge that I, too, am God’s beloved child.

Community Bike Ride

This last Tuesday, Mindy, Tyler, and I participated in the Community Bike Ride. We met in front of Old Main (near the flagpole) on the U of A campus. Hundreds of bikes showed up and we road for over an hour all together. It was an amazing and awesome sight and experience. The weather was great, and it was really good to gather with other bike riders in the community. Below are links to some videos and articles about the ride.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osetpdo6UR0&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IneSmMPL4P4&feature=related

http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/Currents/Content?oid=102923

http://saturen.blogspot.com/2007/12/lone-riders-no-more.html

http://www.tucsonbikelawyer.com/2008/05/lots-of-cops-apparently-citing-people.html

BICAS

Tyler and I take a class every Tuesday from 4-7pm at BICAS. BICAS is an awesome community organization. Check out their website.
The class we are taking is called "Build a Bike", and that is what you do. You start with a bike that has been donated or abandoned and you strip it down to its frame and build it back. You learn all about how bikes work and how to work on bikes in the process.
The bike that you build in class is either given away or sold to support BICAS. Then you have free access to parts, tools, and shop time to build your own bike that you keep. The fee for the class is $80, but I believe some scholarships or financial aid is available.
The teachers and the class are awesome, and we are really enjoying it!!

What did Jesus say about politics?

The subject of politics usually evokes a heated discussion. I run into so many people (like me) who seem to think that everyone else agrees with them! When we find that a friend or family member holds different views, we are usually surprised, maybe disappointed, and maybe dismayed. How can the other person not see the truth! I guess what I am saying is that very often we are very intolerant of anyone who holds different political views from us. We are right (aren't we?).
And the mixing of politics and religion in the last few decades has only exacerbated the problem. Now, your political position not only reveals whether or not you have any sense, but it also determines whether or not you are a Christian. I cannot hide the fact that the religious right is a problem for me. I am religious and I am not part of the right.
But that's all my opinion. What did Jesus say about politics? Consider the Scriptures below, and look at the worship bulletin if you want. We will discuss this issue Sunday.
Luke 4.14-21
Isaiah 61.1-3
Mark 10.35-45
John 18.28-38

Sunday May 18

Seth will be preaching this Sunday. I have a few things to do on Sunday morning (present to Homebuilders Class at 9:30, Confirmation at 11), but I hope to be able to hear Seth. I have had so many positive comments, I've just got to hear this guy for myself!
Here are his Scriptures:

Matthew 25:14-30

Psalm 18:25-36

Romans 8:5-8

Philippians 4:13

Matthew 17:20b

1 Corinthians 12:27-31

Stamp Out Hunger 2

Several of us from Catalina were featured in the KGUN 9 news story about the Letter Carriers' Food Drive. Go here and click on the small photo of the cans of food to see the story.