One of the funny things that most children believe for a time is: "If I can't see you, you can't see me". So they put their hands over their own eyes to hide from you. The corollary to this thinking is that if we can't hear what the other person is saying to us, we are free from the ramifications of that information. So we plug our ears and loudly say, "LALALALA". Of course we don't keep doing this into adulthood (unless our name is Lloyd Christmas and we're staring in the film "Dumb and Dumber"). But we still manage to do a fairly good job of not hearing what we don't want to hear as far as listening to God is concerned. Sometimes we simply play dumb. Sometimes we convince ourselves that the message must be intended for someone else. Sometimes we try to drown out the message with other distractions. Jonah sought to avoid hearing God's message by getting as far away as possible and then going to sleep. But nothing we can do erases the message God has for us. Our actions simply lead us into God's best or away from it. I hope you'll be able to join us this coming Sunday, April 30th, as we continue our journey through the book of Jonah. Spring Clean Up this SaturdayTake a few hours out of your Saturday and join us in getting our church building and grounds into shape. Beginning at 9:00 AM, we'll be washing, cleaning, painting, weeding... and eating donuts! All guys are invited to show up at 8:00 AM for the inaugural gathering of the "Work Warriors" - once a month a group of guys will be meeting for a brief time in God's Word and then taking on some projects around the church. Cinco de Mayo Fiesta!Friday, May 5th, will be our chance to break out the sombreros and have a rollicking good time at the church! We'll be having a Mexican themed potluck dinner along with a program of games and laughter for all ages! Mark your calendar and plan on attending - you'll be glad you came! Exploring Church MembershipPastor Jeff and Tami will be hosting a Membership Class at their home on Sunday, May 7th following worship. We'll eat lunch together and then share about the history of Community Covenant Church as well as just what it is that makes a Covenant Church any different from other congregations. There's no requirement to formally join as members, but being a part of this class is a prerequisite to becoming a member of CCC. Contact Pastor Jeff ([email protected]) for more information or to let him know to count on you attending. One of the most well-known stories in the Bible is the story of the prophet Jonah. Pretty much everyone knows about how he got swallowed by a big fish (a whale?) and survived for three days before being vomited out onto dry land. But I would venture to say that most people don't believe it to be more than a fairy tale (or an allegory). I wonder how many people have even read the short 4 chapters of the book... Starting this Sunday, April 23rd, we'll begin a sermon series taking our time to work our way through Jonah's story. This story from the 8th Century B.C. has a surprising amount to say to us here in the 21st Century A.D. I hope you'll be able to join us! Cinco de Mayo Fiesta!Friday, May 5th, will be our chance to break out the sombreros and have a rollicking good time at the church! We'll be having a Mexican themed potluck dinner along with a program of games and laughter for all ages! Mark your calendar and plan on attending - you'll be glad you came! Contact Pastor Jeff!No, I don't have my own version of the Bat Signal - what would that look like? A bald head silhouette? So how can you be sure to reach me other than taking a chance of finding me available in my church office? Your best bet is to email me at: [email protected] or call or text my cellphone: 206-650-1557 I can meet you at the church, at a place for coffee, or even at your home. Don't hesitate to reach out for a serious matter or just for the chance to chat and get to know each other better! Have you had any nicknames over the years? I've had a few. When I was a kid, my dad used to call me Tiger on occasion. My Uncle Maurey would call me Charlie Brown (even before my hair style resembled his). In high school, my buddy Mark often called me Burger. When I got to college, one of my friends came up with Palmbumbler (I still have that as an email address). Some nicknames are meaningless, while others reveal something about a person's physicality or personality. In the Bible, names are often chosen to make a statement about God or a prophetic statement about the child. This Sunday we will be finishing up our look at Jesus "I AM" statements which, while not really nicknames, do reveal his character. The one we will look at this week is the most direct revelation that Jesus is, in fact, God. I hope you'll be able to join us! This Sunday we will also be celebrating Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. We'll once more be decorating a cross in front of the church along Highway 20 with palm fronds to mark Holy Week. Join us this coming Thursday evening at 7:00 pm for an interactive worship experience focusing on Jesus' sacrifice for us. Through music, prayer stations, and communion, we will reflect on the hope we have through Christ.
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Pastor JeffThoughts about living as a Jesus follower and life at Community Covenant Church Archives
December 2020
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