Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Walnut Hill Church Weekly Letter

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Greetings to all!

Many Christians participate in special practices during Lent to enhance 
their spiritual awareness, among them the practice of reading the Bible.  
While hopefully not a practice limited to one season, extra attention to the 
Scriptures is appropriate during this time, but to what end?  For "information" 
about God?  Craig Dykstra writes...

I have a hunch that God is using the Bible for many more things than just to 
inform us.  God is using the Bible, I would say, to give us courage, to set us 
free from whatever enslaves us, to seduce us (if that is not too strong a word)
into the love God has for us, to call us to account, to turn us around from 
whatever paths of destruction we may be following, to humble us where we 
need to be humbled, to lift us up when we are heavily burdened, to forgive us, 
to redeem us, to make us holy.  God is using the Bible not  only to inform us but 
to form us and re-form us, to shape us into God's own.
(from Growing in the Life of Faith

The Scripture lessons for Sunday, March 27, the 3rd Sunday in Lent:
Exodus 17:1-7
Romans 5:1-11
John 4:5-42

Men's Coffee:  Men are invited to gather for coffee this Saturday, March 26,
8am, at Panera's on Richmond Road.  Feel free to stop in for as long or 
short a time as your schedule allows.  No rsvp required.

Sunday Conversations continue this Sunday, March 27, 10am, in 
Trinity Hall.  Our focus for the day is "Jesus In and Through the Gospels."
Come enjoy a cup of coffee, join the conversation, or just listen in.

Japan Earthquake/Tsunami Relief:  If you have not already had 
opportunity to send a donation to help the people of Japan, you may do
so this Sunday at Walnut Hill.  Offering baskets will be available to receive
your cash or checks (payable to Walnut Hill Church).  Our gifts will be sent
via Church World Service.

2011 Community Fund Grant nominees are now being received.  All
Walnut Hill members and friends are invited to nominate agencies and 
organizations to receive some part of $10,000 available through this 
year's Community Fund.  Nomination deadline is April 1.  Grant recipients
and amounts will be determined at an open meeting in May.  You may 
submit a nomination by reply email or by contacting any Vestry member.

Thanks to all who served in so many ways last Sunday to make possible my 
participation in the CREDO retreat program in Hunt, Texas.  I look forward to 
building upon and sharing the outcomes of the conference in the weeks ahead.

Peace,

Mike Ward

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