Reading List

It's a bit of hubris, but I thought someone might be interested in my reading list for our vacation. Because it's vacation, I'm avoiding any heavy theological reading. I brought along Godric and On the Road with the Arch-Angel by Frederick Buechner, both are fiction. And a book of sermons by Barbara Brown Taylor for devotional reading. The Bible is on both my computer and my palm pilot.

Posted from Kansas City International Airport

About United Methodist Bishops

Want to know more about the role played by Bishops in the United Methodist Church? Introduction to the Council of Bishops is an excellent place to start. This is new (or at least new to me). You can also look at the rest of their website here.

Posted by John

While we're away ...

Linda Beever and church answering service will have numbers for emergency, pastoral care and funeral contacts while we are away. If you call 251-3240 your message will be forwarded to the appropriate people.

2006 Church Officers

I recently posted a copy of the list of Church Officers for 2006,
formally known as the "Committee on Lay Leadership Report," to our
website. It can be found on the "download" page.

Preaching Schedule

We're happy to announce that next Sunday, while we're gone, Mike Mason will be preaching. The following Sunday, Jenny and I will be back, but we'll have a guest preacher, Rev. Leroy Foreman. Rev. Foreman is the father of Brian Foreman.

No Wednesday Gathering This Week or Next

Just a reminder that because Jenny, Elizabeth and I are on vacation there will be no Wednesday Gathering this week or next week. We'll resume September 6 at 7:15 pm (Please note the new time).

Parish Visitor Available for Download

The Parish Visitor is now available for download. For privacy we are keeping it on a password protected site. Email me if you would like the password.

Nursery Painting Complete

The two rooms that contitute the nursery and the bathroom between them have been painted. Stop by to take a look. If you like what you see, be sure and tell April Foreman, she picked out the colors.

Nursery Upgrade in Progress

Two days ago, the trustees approved upgrades to the nursery and the toddler's room adjacent to it. One of the upgrades, painting, got underway today.

Mugs are In

Mugs with the Coffeyville First UMC have arrived. We'll be using them for "mugging" first time visitors. They will also be available for sale for $5.

Parish Visitor Via Email

I just sent out the Parish Visitor to our email list. If you would like to receivie it in the manner please send me an email.

Doors ... Still Waiting

Many of you have been asking about the front doors. Dave called out to Countryside Glass today and they're still waiting for a few parts.

Sunday School in the 21st Century

Every day technology is becoming more and more a part of our lives. To young people growing up today, technology is a given. It always has been a part of their lives and they probably cannot imagine life without it. Certainly some have abused technology, but it can also be a great learning tool.

I am excited to share with you some news about the new curriculum we will be using in the children’s Sunday school class beginning in September. It is called, Live B.I.G. (Belief In God). It is designed to enable kids to engage the Bible stories and live out their faith throughout the week. Each week there is a DVD segment that the class watches—engaging the senses of hearing and sight. There are also songs to learn with actions to engage them physically. We are using a one-room format that has activities for children ages 3-13 so that we can separate by ages as needed—coloring and crafts help promote creativity.

But one of the most exciting things for me about this new curriculum is that the creators are developing a website that has a section for the students to go to during the week to reinforce what they learned in Sunday school, where parents can go to see what their children are learning, and where teachers can go for additional help. This website is a way to help carry the message learned on Sunday throughout the week.

We are living in a technological world and there are exciting ways we can use technology to reach new generations to live their lives as disciples of Christ. I invite you to spread the word about our children’s Sunday school. Exciting things are happening and our class is growing. I invite you to bring a child or a grandchild or a friend or neighbor, and then stay for one of our many adult classes as well (we’ve got a new book study beginning in our young adult class beginning September 10).

Christ is the same, yesterday, today, tomorrow, but how we share our faith, and the mediums we use to teach new generations change. What better way to help shape the faith of a child than by inviting them to Live B.I.G.?

Friday

It looks like I probably won't be able to take Friday off. So I'm taking today instead. I will be available for emergencies.

Comments Back On

I've turned the comments feature back on. This time I've made some changes that should make it easier to post comments. Simply click on "comments" at the bottom of a post and select other or anonomous under "choose an identitiy" after you've typed in your comments. Give it a try, and let me know if you have any problems.

Schweitzer, Buechner, and Collins

I’m still reading The Faces of Jesus by Frederick Buechner. It’s only 94 pages, but I’m spreading it out, because it’s so good I want to savor it. Two things to share. The first is a quote from famed biblical scholar and missionary Albert Schweitzer at the end of his book, The Quest for the Historical Jesus:

He comes to us as One unknown, without a name, as of old, by the lakeside. He came to men who knew Him not. He speaks to us the same word: “Follow thou me!” and sets us to the tasks which He has us to fulfill for our our time. He commands, and to those who obey Him, whether they be wise or simple, He will reveal Himself in the toils, the conflicts, the sufferings, which they shall pass through in His fellowship, and, as an ineffable mystery, they shall learn in their own experience Who He is.

We can’t convert people by telling them all about Jesus, because we are not capable of doing so. We can only hope to share with them through our words, our deeds, and ultimately our lives, enough that they will begin their own journey of following him and learn for themselves who he is.

The second thing I wanted to reflect on here came a few pages earlier where Buechner aptly summed up: “But if good works are not the cause of salvation, they are nonetheless the mark and effect of it.” I want to add explicitly, what I believe Wesley would have wanted to add explicitly, and that is that good works, the “fruit of repentance” are necessary if we are to continue in the relationship with God that is salvation. Without our active participation, the relationship atrophies and our salvation is lost. Buechner comes very close to this, but not quite. I think it may be a difference between my Methodist background and his Presbyterian heritage. I mean this not as a partisan argument, but rather as a means to emphasize the necessity of always using all of our God-given faculties to carefully consider what it is we are reading.

Pride in the Name of the Lord our God

Reading from the book of Psalms for my personal devotions, I was struck by this passage from Psalm 20.7-8. It helps to understand that chariots were the tanks of the ancient Middle East and horses were only for war (remember that Jesus rode mounted into Jerusalem, but not on a horse). Here's the passage:

“Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses, but our pride is in the name of the LORD our God. They will collapse and fall, but we shall rise and stand upright.”

"The name of the LORD our God" is the only thing we can rightly take pride in. I wonder if this verse influenced the title of a song by the rock band U2: “Pride (in the name of Love),” with “Love” an alternative name for “the LORD our God.” It’s probably just me, but I see all sorts of Charles Wesley overtones.

Our Website

We’re trying to do a comprehensive upgrade of this website. If you have favorite elements from other church sites that you would like to see us include please let us know at johnandjenny@gmail.com

Conference Meetings

Jenny will be off to a Kansas East Conference meeting in Ottawa today. Between the two of us we probably have about one conference meeting a month. In the short run it takes time away from the local church, but in the long run we learn a great deal from our colleagues. I had meetings where I’ve learned valuable things for the local church and how to be a better leader in the local church just by being there. Be patient with us when we’re gone, we think that in the long run its good for Coffeyville First.

Website Update

I've updated our website. We now have pages for a church calendar and book recomendations. Check it out the changes at www.coffeyvillefirstumc.org.

Movie Event

Jenny and I took (most of) yesterday off. So I'm just now posting for Sunday. The movie event went very smoothly. Our attendance was up to 40. Thanks to Jared and Becky for making popcorn. We had some new people that we're adding to our mailing list for future events.

UMW Planning Meeting Date Changed

The UMW planning meeting scheduled for August 10 has been changed to Monday, August 7, 6:00 p.m. at Pizza Hut.

Of Popcorn, Temptation, and Spiderman

We'll be screening Larry-Boy and the Bad Apple, which has an excellent lesson in resisting temptation tomorrow at 3:00 pm in the basement. If you know of a kid or kid at heart who would like to attend please invite them. We'll have apple juice and popcorn (we went from not being able to rent a popcorn maker, to somehow borrowing two). We'll have chairs, but you'll be far more comfortable if you bring a camp chair or a blanket/sleeping bag to sit upon.

A note about Larry-Boy and the Bad Apple: previous episodes of Larry-Boy have made spoofed Batman, that spoofing continues in the new episode, but it also has quite a bit of Spiderman mixed in. I just watched Spiderman-2 so I could better appreciate it, but it can be enjoyed either way. (I'm, of course, talking about adults. Kid's may or may not recognize the spoofing).

Busy Week

Sorry for the lack of posting, as many of you know it has been a busy week. Thank you for all the support you've shown Jenny and me.

Of Churches and Garages

I've heard folks who don't attend worship say that going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car. I've been trying to formulate a reply. My thought is that just as the garage is the best place to keep your car to protect it from hail, etc.; so church is the best place to protect your faith from the storms of life. Like the car, you have to take your faith out to get the use out of it, it was not intended to be kept inside, but it is still wise to have it in the garage whenever you can. If you extend the garage metaphor to a "working garage" with oil changes, etc, it makes even more sense to consider regular church attendance essential. This is a metaphor in process, let me know what you think.

We Care, We Vote!

State primaries are being held today. Don't forget to vote.

Assistance Funds

Many members may not be aware of two funds the church has. The
first is an Emergency Assistance Fund. This is for people who come to
the church office looking for help and are unable to receive
assistance (or unable to receive enough assistance) from the
Salvation Army and Genesis. The second fund is a Member Assistance
Fund which is strictly for members of the church who need help.