Eastwood Church of Christ

This is the first, of what I hope will be many, posts that will include a digital PDF copy of our weekly bulletin.

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DOWNLOAD: Bulletin-2010-01-03

I began with “the past two Sunday’s were most enjoyable.” They really were! Last Sunday was the opposite. Sure we worshiped. I sang with the spirit and honored the Lord by eating and communing with Him, and the church, through His Supper. I preached as well as I could. So, what was discouraging about our worship. So many brethren was not there. We had (only) 109 in worship. I knew and understood where some were but it was like this was the Sunday everybody was gone.  Of course everybody was not gone because 109 were there and 89 was at our PM assembly. But so many were not there. Some just do not care that forsaking worship kills the spirit of those who work hard  for the church to grow and prosper in the Lord. It is disheartening at why many do not worship. It is disheartening to see one come in right on time (did not attend Bible study) and he is hurried down front to serve the church the Lord’s supper. It is disheartening to see so many choose other places to be on Sunday. It is disheartening to see those who wish to do something that is good but to forsake worship to do it. Read Luke 10:38-42

Worst of all it seems (to me) that it is just expected that this is the way it is. There is not a rush to find the lost sheep. There is no recognition that there are any lost sheep.

Are there any lost sheep? Does it matter whether worship is attended? Do we count among the faithful those who live such calloused lives of devotion? What do we do? Nothing is not an option!

If nothing is done by me (preacher) elders and the whole church can we say that we are the Lord’s church?

Frustration! I dare us to be better.

The past two Sunday’s (Aug. 16 & 23) have been most enjoyable. On the 16th for our evening worship we went to McFarland Park for fellowship and worship. We met at 3 PM. We sat around and talked. Some went boat riding with Tim, Jan and Gunnar Sherrill. They brought their pontoon boat and allowed many to have a great ride on the river. At 5 Pm we worshiped. As we began to worship a barge came down the river. It was hard to concentrate because I love to watch barges. Even more though I love to worship. Many said, “we need to do this more often. I agree. It was a good day.

Last Sunday (Aug. 23) Jackie and I went to Mt. Zion. They had their Friends & Family Day, plus they had open house for their addition on their church building. I enjoyed preaching for them. It was my first time back since I left there in Jan. 2000 or was it 2001. Time flies and I don’t remember. But I do remember my brethren at Mt. Zion. We enjoyed so much the hugs and hand shakes that came our way Sunday. Preaching for them was an honor.

There will be many more special Sundays. In fact all Sunday’s are special. It is the day the church comes together to worship and to see family. God’s family that is!

Since my last post in June I have seen way to much “Not Feeling Good Religion.” I didn’t feel good so I surely couldn’t do……whatever it was I should have done.

All my “Christian” life I have heard preachers and others talk about “feel good religion. ” It is described as a religion of shallow faith. The Bible certainly declares that we are to live by faith. 2 Corinthians 5:7

Living by faith is a life of allowing our trust in Jesus Christ as God’s unique Son to lead us and guide us into faithful service to the Master. We understand that it is through this faith that we please God. Hebrews 11:6

There is another way to look at “feel good religion.” We, as God’s children, should feel good about our walk with Him.

It is not “feel good religion” that hampers members of the churches of Christ today. Hopefully we do feel good about our zealous living for God through the person of Jesus Christ.

Our problem honestly speaking is “not feeling good religion.”

I don’t feel good this morning. I don’t think I’ll go to worship. Then, too often, the whole family stays home from meeting with the church or fellowshipping with the church. Yes, and even helping with the work of the church

I had to work late or work hard or I just don’t feel good or I got up to late and excuse after excuse leads us to having a faithless faith.

I wish we had a “feel good religion.” Regardless of how we feel we are excited to worship and work for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hell or high water can’t stop one who walks by faith. Not feeling good is an excuse that comes from the bowels of hell.

It ain’t easy being a Doctor, Lawyer or Astronaut. You got to go to a lot of schoolin.

It ain’y easy being a rock star cause you got to let your hair grow real long and be able to play music real loud.

It ain’t easy being a movie star cause you got to be so good lookin and be able to member lines of words.

It ain’t easy being a pro athlete. You got to be big and strong and practice all the time.

Some say it ain’t easy being a Christian. I disagree cause you just got to be like Jesus and He made it easy. You just have to believe and do what He says do. I think it’s easy because when you get into Jesus you just have to be yourself.

You don’t have to have a lot of schoolin. You don’t have to be loud. You don’t have to be good lookin. You don’t even have to be big and strong cause Jesus did all the hard things, like die for you.

You just have to be yourself and of course take up your cross and follow Him.

April the 19 finally arrived and many (did not get a count but it was a great number) from Eastwood worship with our brethren at Smithsonia. The Smithsonia Church of Christ is an all black congregation and we (Eastwood) are all white.

What did God see? He saw, brethren worshiping together. I saw salt and pepper. God saw a wonderful blending of His children. It was as good as I imagined. The Eastwood congregation is a to be comended for opening doors and enjoying God’s church.

This article is copied from a blog that I read: Yesterday, I was at lunch with a good friend who told me about Susan Boyle.  Boyle recently auditioned on Britain’s Got Talent and this 47-year-old woman stunned the audience and the judges as she sang “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables.

She is from the Glasgow, Scotland, area.  Notice her before she sings.  How easy it is for all of us to pre-judge someone based upon appearance.  For example, note these lines from WalesOnline:

“When Susan Boyle walked onto the stage at the Britain’s Got Talent auditions, she was the complete antithesis of our image-obsessed world.  Dressed in a dodgy gold dress, with bushy eyebrows and her greying hair longing to be styled and colored, first impressions meant we all expected her to fail miserably.”

Then she sang.  Everyone was shocked.  A refreshing reminder to us all in a culture that values the outward appearance above all else.  How refreshing in a culture where people often feel “less than” because they don’t wear the right jeans, don’t wear the right labels, don’t drive the right car, or in some way just don’t measure up.  What a refreshing wake-up call.

April 19 is going to be an exciting day. We (Eastwood) are going to visit the Smithsonia church of Christ on Sunday evening. I hope all that attends our evening worship at 5 PM will load up on the bus and van and go to Smithsonia. It will be a thrill to worship with our brethren there.

To God be the glory!

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