Bearing Witness to the Christ in Us
Challenging Us to Be Christ to Others
Challenging Us to Be Christ to Others
My goal in these emails is bear witness to the Christ in YOU and in US at St. John's and to challenge us to BE CHRIST to others. For instance, last Sunday I recognized Christ in you in the sights, sounds, tastes and smells of the The Living Gift Market. What a treat to hear the Sudanese Choir sing a soulful hymn, to see the Appalachian deer head sling shot, to see the little toy tin man riding a bicycle from Ten Thousand Villages. And the taste of that soup (I tried every variety and was equally impressed with the quality of each one) was really noteworthy. I sensed the Holy Spirit in that place and I know some of you did as well because I have heard you say so. Thanks to Phyllis and John Freeman and the entire Outreach Ministry Team for going out of their way to make this event a great success.
We will have a special worship service on Harvest Sunday, November 23rd in McPhail Hall at 10:30 am. During the sermon time, you may share a brief testimony about what you are thankful for. Please let me know if advance if you plan to share a brief, 5 minute or less, reflection of what you are thankful for. The Ghanaian congregation will also joyfully worship with us. Be in prayer for this special service. Also, plan to purchase some delicious cakes and pies from the Presbyterian Women's BAKE SALE. Look for their tables at the back of McPhail. These baked goods are in high demand and are sold on a first-come, first-served basis, so get there early.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, St. John's members work with other area churches to fill the BIM (Braes Interfaith Ministries) food pantry for Thanksgiving. Please bring non-perishable food items this Sunday and these items will be placed on the alter. You may also put in the offering plate a check made out to St. John's with BIM on the memo line. For every dollar you contribute, BIM can buy $27 worth of food from the Houston Food Bank. What a deal! Let's take advantage of it.
Volunteers are needed at Braes Interfaith Ministries (BIM) in the food pantry area unpacking boxes, filling grocery bags, and stocking shelves. If you can help, give your name to Vivian in the church office or any of the BIM volunteers - Vera Newell, Helen Roby, Georgiana Simmons, Simone Westmoreland, Elaine DeSouza, Dee Dennis to name a few. Men are especially needed for this work.
You are invited to the Community Thanksgiving Service on Sunday, November 23, 2008 at 4:00 PM at Westbury United Methodist Church, Willowbend at West Bellfort, next door to St. John's. This annual worship service is sponsored by the Southwest Ministerial Association of Houston and features a 50-voice Braes Interfaith Choir with Cantor Robert Gerber and I will give the message. Free childcare is provided and there is a reception following the service. (See the attached poster for more deatails) Centering prayer will not meet this Sunday so all may attend the Community Thanksgiving Service.
You are cordially invited to a memorial service for Frances Thomas at 10:00 AM this Saturday, November 22, FOLLOWED BY A RECEPTION in McPhail Hall. If anyone has a good short story about Frances, please phone Clayton's nephew, Rev. Ron Thomas, at (909) 260-2245 as he would like to hear personal stories and testimonies to share with the family. If anyone would like to visit Clayton before he moves to California this Sunday, you may visit him at Bayou Manor this week.
I leave you today with my reflection about Frances Thomas. She was a type of butterfly queen. She fluttered and flittered with joy. She and Clayton had a special relationship with St. John's Presbyterian Church. They were family to us and we were family to them. Some of you knew Frances longer than me but I still loved her too. These lyrics from Bob Dylan's song "I'll Remember You" catch the gist of my feelings about Frances.
I'll remember you
At the end of the trail,
I had so much left to do,
I had so little time to fail.
There's some people that
You don't forget,
Even though you've only seen'm
One time or two.
When the roses fade
And I'm in the shade,
I'll remember you.
At the end of the trail,
I had so much left to do,
I had so little time to fail.
There's some people that
You don't forget,
Even though you've only seen'm
One time or two.
When the roses fade
And I'm in the shade,
I'll remember you.
Peace of Christ to you,
Pastor Jon Burnham
Pastor Jon Burnham
