Worship Debrief – Making the Cut (Jul. 25-26)

Many times in life we feel like we are just not good enough…or strong enough…or good looking enough…or… (fill in the blank.) Think back to trying out for the football team, or auditioning for the school play, or even waiting to get picked for kickball in gym class. If you were strong, athletic, good-looking, and had lots of friends – all things our society seems to value – you would get picked early on. If not…well…we’ve all been there.

Our sermon this past weekend was entitled “Making the Cut,” and through it Pastor looked at three characteristics of Jesus that he uses to make the cut on our behalf, so we don’t have to.

1. Jesus is Powerful: We see through the healing of a beggar blind from birth (John 9) that Jesus can take away our physical infirmities.
2. Jesus is Personal: A woman with chronic bleeding touches Jesus cloak and is healed. (Mark 5) Though she was considered unclean, Jesus addressed her as family and brought life out of her shame.
3. Jesus is Forgiving (or, in Pastor’s notes, “Phorgiving” – he needed the “P”): The Pharisees bring a woman to Jesus who was caught in adultery to test Jesus (John 8), but get foiled in there attempt. Jesus does not condone the woman’s actions, but does not condemn her either. Rather He forgave her so she may live a new life of freedom from sin and shame.

Saturday, 7/25 – 7:00pm:

•          Having been in PA from Thursday until that afternoon, I was rather out of it for worship.
•          None the less, it was a pretty straight forward service this week. I love being able to hear the congregation singing, even when it’s small.
•          Thanks to Jacob Ferrante who served as our entire tech team this weekend while the youth were returning from Work Camp.
•          Glad the rain help off (mostly) until after I left…my umbrella stayed in the car!

Sunday, 7/26 – 11:15am:

•          Yeah, you heard right. The sanctuary had flooded overnight! Praise God that the water stayed clear of all the band’s equipment. A huge, Huge, HUGE thanks to Mike & Darcy Zekas, Jim Passage, Ray Polling, Art Schaeffer, and everyone else who worked so hard so we could worship in the Sanctuary!
•          We welcomed Marcus this week on guitar and are looking forward to his continued contribution to our worship.
•          Funny thing: my family had not yet returned from their respective trips (Darcy at Work Camp, the boys in PA). As a result, I was less attentive to things like the children’s message during the service…don’t even remember what Sue talked about. Sorry Sue!!!
•          I did, however, get the congregation repeating Pastor’s signature line (God is good, all the time…) quite by accident!
•          Thanks again to Dan Chamberland for stepping back up and filling in for Jake again.

I hope and pray that your time of worship was good this weekend and that you were able to meet with God. If so, let me know. If not, let me know why not. There’s almost always something we can glean out of your feedback.