Who Served Whom?

"Oh, no! We have to turn around. I left my backpack which has all the travel money at church on the ledge under the carport."  The husband sighed and manuevered the 15 passenger cruise liner into the Susquehanna Bank parking lot to reverse its course.  Fortunately we had driven only about 2 miles of our long journey to Eolia  in southeastern part of Kentucky.

Twenty-one teens, young adults and ummm... more mature adults filled two fifteen passenger vans (one Chevy, one Ford), and one car and were en route to serve a week with MCC SWAP. (Mennonite Central Committee--Sharing with Appalachian People) http://swap.mcc.org/swap/index.html For the majority of the group, this would be a new experience.  Three of the young adults plus Cliff and I had participated four years earlier.  (I think it speaks volumes that the three young men who had participated as younger teens were eager to go again!) 

-I could go into detail about the homes we repaired and work we did-- painting, laying new floor, roofing, hanging drywall, mowing, raking, hammering, and shoveling. (NO trips to the ER! YAY!)

-I could go into detail about the schedule we kept, rising early, packing our lunches, eating a wonderful breakfast prepared by the staff, devotions, lessons, etc. etc.

-I could go into detail about our living quarters where the 6 of us females each had 3 beds from which to choose, and the 15 guys were packed in like sticks in a book of matches.

-But the primary impact for our group was in the people we met.  From the SWAP staff and their children to the homeowners and their extended families, to the people at the Eolia Community Baptist  Church who prepared a feast for us to the friendly woman at the Isom frozen custard window who wrote down and called out each name as our desserts were prepared, to the park ranger at Carr Creek State Park who allowed us an extra 30 minutes to swim to the guy who carried our groceries to our van (yes, you read that right), the people were warm, friendly, welcoming, hospitable, and open to sharing their hearts and lives with us. 

We went to serve, but we came away wondering "who ministered to whom?"

PS-- Beware of doppelganger white vans! They may lead you astray!

This Sunday at 10:15 the senior high youth will conduct the service with the message time being a synopsis of our time with MCC SWAP.  Micah 6:6-8 says
⁶ ‘With what shall I come before the Lord,
   and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings,
   with calves a year old?
⁷ Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
   with tens of thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
   the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?’
⁸ He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
   and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
   and to walk humbly with your God?

Is this not truly daily worship?

Last week it was wonderful to see Kevin and Rachel's sweet little Lillian Grace at church!

Etta will be joining the young adults in the Upper Room at 9am this week.  Those of you who went along to KY please meet in the senior high room at 8am to prepare for the worship service.

Brother Mick is taking a well-deserved holiday so will be out of the office next week.

Many from Ridgeview have serious health concerns. Please be in prayer for those people listed in the prayer corner of the bulletin.  

A prayer for today: Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep.  O Lord, you preserve both man and beast. How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among people find refuge in the shadow of your wings.  For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. 
     In our humanness we often make choices leading to brokenness and sin. Come Kingdom of God.

In our selfishness and distrust, we often hurt others because we don’t truly trust you. Come Kingdom of God. As we reach out and grasp human power, we often oppress and abuse our neighbors. Come Kingdom of God. In our fear, we often strike out with violence and aggression to our sisters and brothers. Come Kingdom of God. We confess our pain, our fear, our mistrust, our misguidedness, our brokenness—O Lord, cover us with your mercy and grace, for we are sinners!  Come Kingdom of God! As your mercy and grace fill us, let us pour out your healing and hope to a world aching for Good News!  Come Kingdom of God. Be done will of God on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus name. AMEN. 

Without question or doubt, you are loved by God, and I love you too!

Love and Light,

Carol

http://www.ridgeviewmennonite.net/

"Always remember who you are, whose you are, where you are going, and what you believe, because it does make a difference!  Oh, and don't forget to attend a church of your choice this weekend. "  jd

 

Mark 4:35-41

³⁵ As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” ³⁶ So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). ³⁷ But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.

³⁸ Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”
³⁹ When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
⁴¹ The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”

As I sit in front of my keyboard trying to decide what to write, I am swept away by a wave of emotion as it seems our Creator is speaking directly to me through these words from Mark.  You see, next week I'm "in charge" of taking a group of mostly young people to Kentucky serving with SWAP (Sharing With Appalachian People). Coordinating travel, snacks, first aid kits, health forms, devotions, money, etc. etc. etc.-- the "to do" list is not short.  I am responsible for the safety and well-being of these teens, and it feels a bit like I'm about to set sail into a territory fraught with unknowns. The youth are counting on me. Their parents are counting on me. My church is counting on me. YIKES!  My stress level has increased with the approaching date, and I suddenly realize I've failed to truly commit this into Jesus' hands and recognize that God is "in charge" not me.  Thank you, Jesus!
"Why are you afraid, Carol?  I am in the boat with you."  (or a 15 passenger van!)
And again I say, "Thank you, Jesus!"

Please pray for our group.  There will be no communique next Friday as I may be on a rooftop. :) 

In his pre-sermon notes, Brother Mick states, "We have become conditioned to think we must exhaust every possible avenue on our own and only when we find ourselves at the end do we turn to God in Christ crying out to be saved. Perhaps if we could hold the available presence of God a little clearer in our minds we would find that we could stop allowing our lives to get out of control before turning to God for help." The Mark passage is the sermon text with adjunct texts being Job 38:1-11 and Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32.

Please join us at 10:15am on Sunday morning for worship.
I'll be in the Upper Room at 9am for conversation and prayer.

You'll find additional details and the prayer corner in the bulletin. http://www.ridgeviewmennonite.net/bulletins/index.php

Today we celebrate the life of our sister Frances. Many of you have been recipients of her prayers, cards, crosses, and love. She once wrote in a note to my daughter Korinne, "Even after I'm gone from earth, you may feel a tickle of a breeze on your cheek, and that will be me thinking of you from heaven."
 Love ya, Love ya, Love ya, Frances!

My prayer for today: Lord, before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting, you are God, our refuge and our hope.  Help us to truly trust in you; to recognize your presence with us; to know that you will not leave us nor forsake us.  We ask that your loving arms of healing and hope would cradle Rose, Craig, Albert, Larry, and the many others who are hurting today.  We pray that your peace and your grace would overflow from us to our neighbors. Come Kingdom of God. Be done, will of God, on earth as it is in heaven.  In Jesus Name. Amen.

Without question or doubt, you are loved by God, and I love you too! 
Love and light,
Carol

"Always remember who you are, whose you are, where you are going, and what you believe, because it does make a difference!  Oh, and don't forget to attend a church of your choice this weekend. "  jd