Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Ministry Update 10-10-08

A Devotion from Jay McKenney

A Moment of Need
You have been there, and so have I. An emotional crisis, a burning question, a state of desperation, or a bout of loneliness… when you just needed someone, anyone, to care.

You have felt the pain of no one reaching out, no one seeming to notice. And maybe, like me, you have also known the joy of someone being there, caring enough to engage, being Jesus at the moment of your need.

As a ministry and as a church we continue to explore what it means to be real. And looking for these moments, anticipating them, and acting on them is a big piece of it.

"But Jay, you don't understand, I'm not good with people, I'm too shy."
"Jay I've got too much going on in my own life to be any help to anyone else."
"Jay, I'm far too busy to take time responding to everyone else's need that comes along, I've got my own friends and family to think about."

Luke 6:32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?
For even sinners love those who love them.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
(I can respond in the moment of someone’s needs, because of Christ.)
1 Peter 4:11 Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God;
whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies;
so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ,
to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Philippians 2:5-11 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
who, although He existed in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men.
And being found in appearance as a man,
He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth,
and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

I pray today that you and I will become better and better at responding to the needs of those around us, in all the moments that God uniquely gifts to each one of us.
A note from Pastor Ron…
We need you to vote! October 12th, 19th or 26th
The Presbytery of the Cascades has on its agenda for the November 8 Presbytery Meeting our request to leave the denomination. I want to urge you to vote in support of our recommendation to leave the PCUSA and unite with the EPC. I am hoping that 95% or more of our members will support our recommendation. If our Presbytery sees that a very high percentage of our people are in agreement about leaving, they will know there is no changing our mind and will be more compelled to approve our departure.

How you can vote:
Before and after each service on Sundays October 12, 19, and 26 the Advisory Voting Center in the Lobby will open at 8:30 am and close at 1:00 pm. We are asking EVERY MEMBER to come to the table to vote. Our Presbytery will only count member votes; however, Sunset's leaders are asking all non-member attendees also to come and let us know how you feel about the denominational decision. Absentee ballots are available for those who are away the entire voting window of October 12-26 due to illness, college, travel, or non-resident "sunbirds". Those individuals can go to our website http://www.sunsetpres.org/ and download an "Authorization to Release Advisory Ballot" form, fill it out and designate a specific person to take it to the voting center so they can get an official ballot to take or send to that person. The voting person should fill out the ballot and return it to the specific person to place it in the ballot box in the Lobby by October 26.

This is one of the most important issues to face our church, and I am asking each of you to vote.
Sincerely in Christ,
Pastor Ron

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