VERSE OF THE WEEK: "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:16-19
PASTOR TO PASTOR
The Church and (the) Community
When I grew up ( and some of you reading this) everything was done in the neighborhood. We went to neighborhood schools, attended neighborhood churches, shopped at neighborhood stores, and even played ball in the neighborhood vacant lot. Not only that,,,we actually knew our neighbors. In fact, on more than one occasion it was a neighbor who yelled at me to correct my behavior or clean up me language.
This small community within the larger "world" community, made life easier and less overwhelming. Everything was connected; the neighborhood was an eco-system. I believe that I am better for having grown up in this environment or "village".
It seems that all of society has become more segregated and polarized. The smaller, more intimate community has been replaced with bigger institutions, i.e, box stores, supermarkets, campuses.
When I go to any of the aforementioned places now, I get in my car and drive out of my neighborhood. I only know two of my neighbors first names. We are not connected in any way, shape, or form. I believe I am weaker for having so few connections.
The church is a place of community. Or it should be. It is a place where life is meant to be lived together. Jerry Appleby writes in the book "Live Compassion", "An ekklesia was not a voluntary association or a corporation. Its members were seen as children in the same family, parts of the same body, and citizens of the same colony. In other words, the church was a true community that was more than the sum of its members."
This is how life was meant to be lived. Especially for the Christ follower. God created us to be relational beings, to live in community, and to share our faith and the revelation of God with each other.
I am so glad to be a part of the ekklesia. It is one of the things for which I am most thankful. That in a world that has become disjointed, where our most intimate contacts are through Facebook, I am glad that I can be a part of a family, a body, a colony that strengthens me, values me, and holds me accountable.
In short...I am thankful for the church because it allows me to be a part of your life, and you a part of mine.
LET'S TRADE PRAYERS
EXCELLENT ADVENTURES
We have most recently visited Tupelo (MS), Clarksdale (MS), New Orleans First (LA), Rosebloom(MS) We look forward to visiting the following churches:
November 21 -- Rosebloom (MS)
November 28 -- Houlka (MS)
December 5 -- Meridian Northside (MS)
December 12 -- Monroe First (LA)
December 19 -- Available
December 26 -- Vacation
January 2 -- Available
January 9 -- Available
To schedule me please contact Pam. I would love to come to your church.
SPECIAL NOTES
Rev. Nathan Middleton has resigned as pastor of Natchitoches (LA). He and Kelly will be relocating to the Kansas City area. We will miss them and their precious family.
Rev. Paul Decker has resigned (retired) as pastor of New Orleans Westbank Church. He and Micky will be relocating near children in Canton, OH. We appreciate their ministry on our district.
Rev. Rev. Edwyn Carias and his wife Ligia, are pastoring our newest church in Gretna (LA), the Inglesia Del Nazareno Adulam. They will be serving under the direction of Rev. Murillo. They currently have a congregation of 25.
Rev. Byoung Cho (Issac) has joined the staff of Red River Korean (Bossier, LA) as associate pastor. He and his wife Rebecca come to us from the Chicago Central district.
Dr. Ray Easley, District Secretary in Mississippi has resigned his position at Wesley Biblical Seminary and will be starting a business as a consultant to Christian Educational institutions around the world. He has been a wonderful servant of the district. His wife Dianne served as district office secretary for a time and helped with the Katrina office administration. We will miss this outstanding couple.
Rev. Steve Holtz (Cleveland First, MS) and Rev. Eric Nelson (Slidell, LA) both had outstanding reviews.
DaySpring (MS) Community celebrated their 10th anniversary with a weekend that included their teens helping to clean up a worship space for Jackson Northeast New Start.
Most are aware of the passing of Rev. Doug Reid, Sr. at the age of 84. Rev. Reid was an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene, and had pastored an independent holiness church for many years. He was a mentor to several of our current Mississippi pastors and will be deeply missed.
Open Churches: (MS) GraceWay, Meridian Northside
(LA) Kenner First, New Orleans Westbank, GracePointe, Natchitoches
Important Prayer Requests:
Rev. David Kelly (Crystal Springs, MS) continues to face cancer treatments.
Continue to pray for Rev. Mike Howard (Westlake, LA)Rev. Alvin Clay (Laurel Bresee, MS) was recently hospitalized and needed to have two stints put in his heart.
Rev. Scott Howell (W. Monroe Faith) has had significant kidney damage as a result of earlier kidney stones. Pray that several things will work together to restore his kidney function.
We are saddened to hear of the death or Mel Surges of Baton Rouge First. Mel pastored for many years in various places and had most recently been an active member of BR. He was a great help in pulpit supply. Pray for his wife Audrey.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
DISTRICT CHRISTMAS PARTIES
MISSISSIPPI
December 3, 2010 7:00pm Jackson Emmanuel
PASTOR TO PASTOR
The Church and (the) Community
When I grew up ( and some of you reading this) everything was done in the neighborhood. We went to neighborhood schools, attended neighborhood churches, shopped at neighborhood stores, and even played ball in the neighborhood vacant lot. Not only that,,,we actually knew our neighbors. In fact, on more than one occasion it was a neighbor who yelled at me to correct my behavior or clean up me language.
This small community within the larger "world" community, made life easier and less overwhelming. Everything was connected; the neighborhood was an eco-system. I believe that I am better for having grown up in this environment or "village".
It seems that all of society has become more segregated and polarized. The smaller, more intimate community has been replaced with bigger institutions, i.e, box stores, supermarkets, campuses.
When I go to any of the aforementioned places now, I get in my car and drive out of my neighborhood. I only know two of my neighbors first names. We are not connected in any way, shape, or form. I believe I am weaker for having so few connections.
The church is a place of community. Or it should be. It is a place where life is meant to be lived together. Jerry Appleby writes in the book "Live Compassion", "An ekklesia was not a voluntary association or a corporation. Its members were seen as children in the same family, parts of the same body, and citizens of the same colony. In other words, the church was a true community that was more than the sum of its members."
This is how life was meant to be lived. Especially for the Christ follower. God created us to be relational beings, to live in community, and to share our faith and the revelation of God with each other.
I am so glad to be a part of the ekklesia. It is one of the things for which I am most thankful. That in a world that has become disjointed, where our most intimate contacts are through Facebook, I am glad that I can be a part of a family, a body, a colony that strengthens me, values me, and holds me accountable.
In short...I am thankful for the church because it allows me to be a part of your life, and you a part of mine.
LET'S TRADE PRAYERS
EXCELLENT ADVENTURES
We have most recently visited Tupelo (MS), Clarksdale (MS), New Orleans First (LA), Rosebloom(MS) We look forward to visiting the following churches:
November 21 -- Rosebloom (MS)
November 28 -- Houlka (MS)
December 5 -- Meridian Northside (MS)
December 12 -- Monroe First (LA)
December 19 -- Available
December 26 -- Vacation
January 2 -- Available
January 9 -- Available
To schedule me please contact Pam. I would love to come to your church.
SPECIAL NOTES
Rev. Nathan Middleton has resigned as pastor of Natchitoches (LA). He and Kelly will be relocating to the Kansas City area. We will miss them and their precious family.
Rev. Paul Decker has resigned (retired) as pastor of New Orleans Westbank Church. He and Micky will be relocating near children in Canton, OH. We appreciate their ministry on our district.
Rev. Rev. Edwyn Carias and his wife Ligia, are pastoring our newest church in Gretna (LA), the Inglesia Del Nazareno Adulam. They will be serving under the direction of Rev. Murillo. They currently have a congregation of 25.
Rev. Byoung Cho (Issac) has joined the staff of Red River Korean (Bossier, LA) as associate pastor. He and his wife Rebecca come to us from the Chicago Central district.
Dr. Ray Easley, District Secretary in Mississippi has resigned his position at Wesley Biblical Seminary and will be starting a business as a consultant to Christian Educational institutions around the world. He has been a wonderful servant of the district. His wife Dianne served as district office secretary for a time and helped with the Katrina office administration. We will miss this outstanding couple.
Rev. Steve Holtz (Cleveland First, MS) and Rev. Eric Nelson (Slidell, LA) both had outstanding reviews.
DaySpring (MS) Community celebrated their 10th anniversary with a weekend that included their teens helping to clean up a worship space for Jackson Northeast New Start.
Most are aware of the passing of Rev. Doug Reid, Sr. at the age of 84. Rev. Reid was an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene, and had pastored an independent holiness church for many years. He was a mentor to several of our current Mississippi pastors and will be deeply missed.
Open Churches: (MS) GraceWay, Meridian Northside
(LA) Kenner First, New Orleans Westbank, GracePointe, Natchitoches
Important Prayer Requests:
Rev. David Kelly (Crystal Springs, MS) continues to face cancer treatments.
Continue to pray for Rev. Mike Howard (Westlake, LA)Rev. Alvin Clay (Laurel Bresee, MS) was recently hospitalized and needed to have two stints put in his heart.
Rev. Scott Howell (W. Monroe Faith) has had significant kidney damage as a result of earlier kidney stones. Pray that several things will work together to restore his kidney function.
We are saddened to hear of the death or Mel Surges of Baton Rouge First. Mel pastored for many years in various places and had most recently been an active member of BR. He was a great help in pulpit supply. Pray for his wife Audrey.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
DISTRICT CHRISTMAS PARTIES
MISSISSIPPI
December 3, 2010 7:00pm Jackson Emmanuel
LOUISIANA
December 10, 2010 7:00pm Rocky Creek
LOUISIANA/MISSISSIPPI PRAYER SUMMIT
January 21-22,2011
Rocky Creek Campground, Pineville
Cost: $25 per person (Includes 2 meals/snacks)
January 21-22,2011
Rocky Creek Campground, Pineville
Cost: $25 per person (Includes 2 meals/snacks)
Lodging: $20 per person (dbl. occupancy) - Lodge
$10 per person - Dorm
Ministers and Laymen Invited to attend
Book I am Recommending: "Primal, A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity" by Mark Batterson. Wow, what a book. Batterson wrote "In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day" and "Wild Goose Chase". However, I find this to be the best book. Like several I have read lately (Deep Church, Who Stole My Church, Radical, and Crazy Love) this book draws us back to the heart of the gospel and the essentials of the Christian faith. It reminds the reader that we have diluted or perverted the call of God to Christlikeness. Batterson affirms that the depth of Christian life is found int he Great Commandment. Then he spends a section of the book on each of the components of the Commandment- the heart (compassion), the soul (wonder), the mind (curiosity), and strength (energy). This is a must read.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: (From Rev. Chet Bush's Weekly E-Newsletter to the Oxford Church)
"Earlier this week Levi (soon to be 7 years old) wanted me to drive near some curious woods so he could get a closer look. We were on our way somewhere and I did not want to diverge so I argued it wasn’t a good idea. “Besides, it’s a dead end,” I replied motioning to the yellow sign and the lack of paved road. He was quick to respond. “But there is a little path after every dead end,” he said.
I was impressed. His attention to the insignificant, yet universal, detail had caught me off guard. Each time he had seen a dead-end street he had also seen a dirt-worn trail trickle from it. When I see a dead-end street I immediately think of how to turn around. Evidently, he wonders how he can keep going. He sees dead-ends less as stopping points and more as starting points for adventure.
The story of the people of God is marked by dead-ends, u-turns, road-blocks…moments where it seemed the God-directed journey had come to an end. The Red Sea stood in the way of deliverance. The dry desert stood in the way of quenched thirst. The fortified walls of Jericho stood between the people and a Promised Land.
But the journey is not all about geography. Sarai’s barren womb seemed a dead end to the Blessing. Wayward children seemed an end to David’s stable kingdom. The cross seemed a certain end to a revolution of healing and wholeness. But each obstruction served as gracious occasion. God made a way.
And your life? Have you hit a dead-end? Do you stand before an obstacle that is too big to overcome? Do you nurse a wound that is too painful? Do you carry a burden too heavy to bear? Do you face an intimidating task? Look for the thin trail that continues on. God’s way is seldom a broad path.
Dead-ends do not keep us from moving forward, but they do demand we travel differently. Your daunting obstacle may be God’s gracious occasion for renewal."
Book I am Recommending: "Primal, A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity" by Mark Batterson. Wow, what a book. Batterson wrote "In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day" and "Wild Goose Chase". However, I find this to be the best book. Like several I have read lately (Deep Church, Who Stole My Church, Radical, and Crazy Love) this book draws us back to the heart of the gospel and the essentials of the Christian faith. It reminds the reader that we have diluted or perverted the call of God to Christlikeness. Batterson affirms that the depth of Christian life is found int he Great Commandment. Then he spends a section of the book on each of the components of the Commandment- the heart (compassion), the soul (wonder), the mind (curiosity), and strength (energy). This is a must read.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: (From Rev. Chet Bush's Weekly E-Newsletter to the Oxford Church)
"Earlier this week Levi (soon to be 7 years old) wanted me to drive near some curious woods so he could get a closer look. We were on our way somewhere and I did not want to diverge so I argued it wasn’t a good idea. “Besides, it’s a dead end,” I replied motioning to the yellow sign and the lack of paved road. He was quick to respond. “But there is a little path after every dead end,” he said.
I was impressed. His attention to the insignificant, yet universal, detail had caught me off guard. Each time he had seen a dead-end street he had also seen a dirt-worn trail trickle from it. When I see a dead-end street I immediately think of how to turn around. Evidently, he wonders how he can keep going. He sees dead-ends less as stopping points and more as starting points for adventure.
The story of the people of God is marked by dead-ends, u-turns, road-blocks…moments where it seemed the God-directed journey had come to an end. The Red Sea stood in the way of deliverance. The dry desert stood in the way of quenched thirst. The fortified walls of Jericho stood between the people and a Promised Land.
But the journey is not all about geography. Sarai’s barren womb seemed a dead end to the Blessing. Wayward children seemed an end to David’s stable kingdom. The cross seemed a certain end to a revolution of healing and wholeness. But each obstruction served as gracious occasion. God made a way.
And your life? Have you hit a dead-end? Do you stand before an obstacle that is too big to overcome? Do you nurse a wound that is too painful? Do you carry a burden too heavy to bear? Do you face an intimidating task? Look for the thin trail that continues on. God’s way is seldom a broad path.
Dead-ends do not keep us from moving forward, but they do demand we travel differently. Your daunting obstacle may be God’s gracious occasion for renewal."
