This Sunday you are invited to dress in a favorite western outfit. Regardless of what you wear, plan to join us in Fellowship Hall after worship for the Chili Cook-off as we celebrate the opening of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Speaking of which, one of our elders was wondering whether to attend the KISS concert at the Rodeo and I strongly discouraged that - just for the record.
As part of our celebration this Sunday, everyone is invited to bring a pot of chili to McPhail Hall. If possible please bring your chili in a crock-pot. Whether you bring chili or not, please bring your appetite and join us for an enjoyable time of chili tasting and fellowship. Guests and members are all welcome to come enjoy the food and fellowship in Fellowship Hall after worship. Bring a friend!
Curtis will hand out the 2010 Church Contribution Statements in the narthex after worship this Sunday. These are helpful for preparing your taxes. Those not picked up Sunday will be mailed next week. Speaking of money, bring your pennies or nickels, dimes and quarters to be collected in the Narthex after service this Sunday, March 6. Gifting your change helps build schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Lent begins this Wednesday, March 9. You are invited to an Ash Wednesday service at 7:30 pm in the sanctuary. During the service we are invited to write a list of our sins which we will take outdoors into the courtyard. After burning our sins to signify our forgiveness by Christ, participants may receive the imposition of ashes. The ashes we use are gathered from the burning of palm branches from last year's Palm Sunday. Come and "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
As we anticipate the beginning of Lent this week on Ash Wednesday, we note the parallels between the transfiguration and the execution of Jesus. The sermon text is Matthew 17:1-9 and the title is Jesus: Transfiguration and Execution. We will consider the literary set up Matthew's Gospel uses in comparing and contrasting Jesus' transfiguration with his death and the implications for our own spiritual journey.
Your Session met last night and had a healthy discussion of how to gently shift the church in a slightly more missional direction. We are using Reggie McNeal's book The Missional Church: Changing the Scorecard of the Church to do this. Our church is typical in that our current scorecard which you may read in the bulletin each Sunday consists of keeping score of worship attendance and how much money was received. We do not keep score of how many hours are volunteered by church members each week. We do not keep score of how many lives our church members have blessed in the previous week. There are many things we could be keeping score of in our church beyond money and attendance. You may think of a few ways to change our scorecard as a church. If you do, speak to me or one of the elders about your ideas.
My feeling about the shifts described in that book is that we are further along than most churches but we've still got a ways to go. Your Session, with God's help, will come to consensus on where are going as well as how to get there. I think how we get there will have something to do with making disciples and meeting human needs as mentioned in our mission statement. I imagine we will want to change our church's scorecard to more accurately reflect how we are doing that. But then again, that's just me and my opinion for what it's worth. This is your church and you are the experts. I'll be glad to work with you to figure it out but you have to take ownership the process for it to work. Otherwise, all we are is dust in the wind. As the song says, "It slips away and all your money won't another minute buy." Let's come together and make a difference in people's lives during our brief journey on this earth. That is what Jesus did. He expects no less from his disciples.
Pastor Jon --
St. John's Presbyterian Church
5020 West Bellfort / Houston, TX 77035
T. 713.723.6262 / F. 713.723-4015 / Email: office.sjpc@gmail.com
Worship Service: Sunday, 10:30 am / Sunday School: 9:00 am
