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Archived faith
stories
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In most churches, half the
members do all the work, and the other half do nothing. I am
happy to say that in our congregation, we do the exact
opposite.
source unknown
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This
is my church... It
is composed of people like me, and you.
We make it what it is.
It will be friendly, if I am.
Its pews will be filled, if I help fill them.
It will do great work, if I work.
It will make generous gifts to many causes, if I am a
generous giver.
It will bring other people into worship and fellowship, if I
bring them in.
It will be a church of loyalty and love, of fearlessness and
faith, and a church made of a noble spirit if I, who make it
what it is, am filled with these.
Therefore, with the help of God, I shall dedicate myself to
the task of being all the things that I want my church to
be. Author
unknown |
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2010 Easter Message from
Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson
"The last enemy to be destroyed
is death."
–1 Corinthians 15:26
For a brief time, while the
crucified Jesus lay in a borrowed tomb, it seemed as if death
had triumphed once again. Threatened by a messenger of God's
expansive, steadfast love, yet another human mob succumbed to
death's seduction. They chose its brutal, silencing power and
trusted its empty finality. Death's murderous rebellion
against the Creator of life seemed unstoppable.
Until that Sunday morning
dawned. Mary, Joanna, Mary and the other women arrived at
Jesus' tomb prepared for a body emptied of life. Instead they
discovered the grave emptied of its power and death itself
buried in resurrection life. Jesus Christ, the first fruits
from the dead, lives (1 Corinthians 15:20)!
Now Jesus Christ, the
embodiment of God's compassionate love, is preparing your body
for a resurrection life. In that life death can no longer
imprison you in a grave nor hold you captive to its violent
imagination and destructive power. Joined to Christ by
baptism, your body is being brought into his resurrected life,
into Christ's new creation, and into the ministry of
reconciliation and peace. In this new day your resurrected
service of God's steadfast love endures forever.
"This is the Lord's doing; it is
marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be
glad in it."
–Psalm 118:23-24
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ELCA
Good Gifts: an alternative gift-giving which provides for
a way to give to a variety of ELCA ministries including
special congregational needs, lifting up faithful leadership,
evangelism, and global mission.
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The
Season after Pentecost, the time of the church
Bible background:
Acts 2:1-41 (Pentecost); Acts 2:42-47 (fellowship of
believers)
Time:
The 50th day after Easter is Pentecost. On this day, the
Holy Spirit came to Jesus' disciples so they could carry
on his work and establish the church throughout the world.
It is a sort of "birthday" for the church. The
time after Pentecost comprises approximately half of the
church year.
Color:
Green is the color of the Pentecost season, symbolizing
this as a time of growth for the church.
Grow:
The Sundays after Pentecost focus on the ministry and
teachings of Jesus. It is a season of growth for the
church, as the people of God listen to the call of the
Holy Spirit and respond in faith.
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Church.co.uk
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