 My college buddy, Steve, grew up in Sacramento as a fan of the 49ers (back when they were actually winning). Over the recent years he and I have had fun using Facebook to take some good-natured jabs at each other and our favorite teams. (Steve is an elementary school teacher in Anchorage, so he's surrounded by a lot of other Seahawk fans who give him a hard time in person!). All of this, of course, is in fun and a couple years ago I drew this caricature of the two of us. We're rivals when it comes to our favorite team, but above all we're friends and brothers in Christ! As we move into the last half of Ephesians 2, Paul addresses the reality that the churches in Ephesus and elsewhere in the Roman Empire were made up of former rivals: the Jews and the Gentiles (non-Jews). In fact they were more than just rivals - they were outright enemies in many cases! And yet, because of Jesus, they were united as part of God's family and were being joined together to form a spiritual building where God lives. That's amazing! Take a few minutes to read Ephesians 2:11-22 and reflect on how you are experiencing similar unity with other Christians that you might otherwise not associate with. I hope you'll be able to join us this Sunday. Crisis Fund OfferingThis Sunday we'll have a basket collecting donations which will then be used to help those within our congregation and community who find themselves in financial need. You can make a check out to "CCC" and place it or cash into the basket following the worship service or drop it off/mail it to the church with a designation that it should be applied to the Crisis Fund. Thank you for enabling us to share the love of Jesus in a practical way.  On Sunday, September 17th, we're going to join with other churches in our valley to once again live out our identity as Christ's Body and BLESS others by serving them. This year we will hold our morning worship and then go to the Twisp Park for a lunch and to divide into work crews. We'll go out and tackle different projects for a couple of hours with the intention of sharing God's love in practical ways. But we need to line up some projects first. That's where you come in. We're looking for some rather simple tasks that small groups can accomplish in about 2 hours. We'd ideally like a variety of different things: some yard clean up, some indoor jobs, and some less strenuous tasks so that everyone and every level of ability will be able to participate. Begin brainstorming and seeking out what we might be able to do for others on that afternoon. Project forms are available for you to fill out and submit to the church office. We may not be able to accomplish everything suggested, but we hope to serve a number of people. NEEDS: Project Administrator: Someone good at organizing the various projects and thinking through what needs to be done in preparation for the 17th. Project Leaders willing to prepare for and lead a group on that afternoon (you don't have to create the project, just be the point person) Lunch Coordinator: arrange for BBQ and tables at Twisp Park for our pre-serving potluck lunch DVR to record the Seahawk game and then set it up to watch at the church that evening Please let me know if you are willing to help in any of these areas and plan on joining us in service on the 17th! Hurricane Harvey ReliefMany have wondered about the best way to help out with the needs in Huston as a result of Hurricane Harvey. We have a number of sister Covenant churches in the area which have been impacted by the disaster, but are also front line "boots on the wet ground" in providing help.
Here is a link to an article with information about how to provide help including links to give through Covenant World Relief: http://www.midsouthcov.org/hurricane-harvey-disaster/ There are some stories that take us to pretty bleak places before turning the corner to a happy ending. One of my favorite Christmas films is "It's a Wonderful Life". Jimmy Stewart's character, George Bailey, has things go so badly that he's ready to end his life before his Guardian Angel arrives to open his eyes to the value of his life. There was a while before I could convince Tami to watch the movie because she felt it was just too depressing. But it's that darkness of despair on the bridge that makes the light of friends and family coming together at the end all the more wonderful! Our own faith journey is one of those bad to good stories. Some of us have a real darkness to light story. Others of us don't have a dramatic transformation testimony. Or do we? Ephesians 2:1-10 reveals the truth about out salvation. Whether to realize it of not, you have been saved from being DEAD to NEW LIFE! From being a SLAVE to sin to being FREED from it! From being CONDEMNED to death to being ENTHRONED with Jesus! If we don't look at the darkness of our past, we will never fully appreciate the glorious light of our present and future in Christ. I hope you'll be able to join us this Sunday, August 27th, as we discuss this foundational passage of God's Word. It's how we all made the team.  On Sunday, September 17th, we're going to join with other churches in our valley to once again live out our identity as Christ's Body and BLESS others by serving them. This year we will hold our morning worship and then go to the Twisp Park for a lunch and to divide into work crews. We'll go out and tackle different projects for a couple of hours with the intention of sharing God's love in practical ways.
But we need to line up some projects first. That's where you come in. We're looking for some rather simple tasks that small groups can accomplish in about 2 hours. We'd ideally like a variety of different things: some yard clean up, some indoor jobs, and some less strenuous tasks so that everyone and every level of ability will be able to participate. Begin brainstorming and seeking out what we might be able to do for others on that afternoon. We will soon have project forms you can fill out and submit to the church office. We may not be able to accomplish everything suggested, but we hope to serve a number of people. One other item: I am well aware that the Seahawks are playing a game against the 49ers on Sunday afternoon that day. We're working on recording the game and then having a viewing party with pizza that evening. We'll be able to serve and celebrate the game together!  When Tami and I were first married I went off on a weekend camping and rock climbing adventure with some other young married guys from our church. None of us had ever done any rock climbing, but we had rented climbing shoes and had a guide with equipment and experience who we believed would teach us and keep us safe. There's a whole series of safety checks and double checks when you're climbing that have to do with verifying that your ropes and harness are properly fastened and that your "belayer" (the person at the other end of your safety rope) is ready for you to start climbing. Sometimes the ritual of call and response ("On belay" "Belay on" "Climbing" "Climb away") seemed a little silly, but we realized that we'd prefer to go through the process over falling to our death! We began with some pretty easy climbs. The rock wasn't more than a 60 degree slant and the hand and foot holds were plentiful. Even so, it was scary as I got higher and higher off the ground. With each increasingly challenging climb, my heart was racing faster and each movement in the climb seemed more risky! I knew that the belay line was there to catch me if I fell. We were told how it worked and that the belayer would have no problem stopping us from plummeting to the ground. I even saw some of the other guys lose their grip and be caught by the rope. But despite all of this, I was still increasingly anxious. The last climb was the most difficult and required some body contortions and tricky maneuvers in order to get to the top. As I was trying to reach the next hand hold, my foot slipped and I felt myself start to fall... but only about 3 feet. The belay line and my buddy on the other end held me just like I'd been told. An amazing think happened: my fear of the climb (and falling) disappeared! I was able to reach across gaps and push up on tiny toe holds without fear. The climb became an exhilarating challenge without the anxiety I had previously been experiencing. I KNEW that the safety rope would hold me and it completely changed my climbing experience! Last Sunday we looked at Ephesians 1:3-14 and how God has adopted us into his family and made us his heirs. We have been saved and are secure because of His loving action on our behalf! This Sunday, August 20th, we'll look at Paul's prayer for these Jesus-followers in Ephesus in the rest of chapter 1. His prayer centers around his desire that they REALLY KNOW this Truth of Whose they are. Because knowing is different from KNOWING! But our call is to not only take in this Truth for ourselves, but also to pray it for our brothers and sisters in Christ - that they would KNOW it for themselves! I hope you'll be able to join us! Pastor Chris and Amy Breuninger Visit On Sunday, August 27th, Chris and Amy will be visiting with us. Chris was the first full-time pastor of CCC from 1989-94. They've recently purchased a house on Whidbey Island which they are planning to renovate and run a bed and breakfast out of. Some of you will remember Chris and Amy's time in the Methow and the early days of CCC and it will be great to see them and pray God's blessing over them as they begin this new chapter in their lives.  On Sunday, September 17th, we're going to join with other churches in our valley to once again live out our identity as Christ's Body and BLESS others by serving them. This year we will hold our morning worship and then go to the Twisp Park for a lunch and to divide into work crews. We'll go out and tackle different projects for a couple of hours with the intention of sharing God's love in practical ways.
But we need to line up some projects first. That's where you come in. We're looking for some rather simple tasks that small groups can accomplish in about 2 hours. We'd ideally like a variety of different things: some yard clean up, some indoor jobs, and some less strenuous tasks so that everyone and every level of ability will be able to participate. Begin brainstorming and seeking out what we might be able to do for others on that afternoon. We will soon have project forms you can fill out and submit to the church office. We may not be able to accomplish everything suggested, but we hope to serve a number of people. One other item: I am well aware that the Seahawks are playing a game against the 49ers on Sunday afternoon that day. We're working on recording the game and then having a viewing party with pizza that evening. We'll be able to serve and celebrate the game together!  I had a kid in my youth group a number of years ago whose last name was Jennings. I remember how excited he was when he was given a Seahawks jersey of a player who shared his last name: cornerback Kelly Jennings. It was fun for him to not only have the jersey of a great player on his favorite team, but also to have his own last name on the back! (No relation, obviously). Last Sunday we began a new sermon series working our way through the book of Ephesians. In using the analogy of a football team, I presented the idea that we need to be sure that we fully understand the basics of God's work of salvation in our lives and his purposes for us as a part of his Body, the church. We're on God's team and we need to work together as a team. This Sunday, August 13th, we'll talk about "the name on the back of your jersey". You've not only been chosen to be on God's team, but you've also been given a whole new identity because of it. Paul uses the imagery of adoption to describe this and it's a powerful way to look at it! I hope you'll be able to join us and celebrate this Good News! Swing, Swang, Swung If you're looking for some fun and laughs tonight (Thursday, Aug. 10) you're invited to come join a small group of us who will be learning some swing dancing in the picnic gazebo at the church. No experience required (otherwise Tami and I would be disqualified!). 7:00-9:00 pm Date Your SpouseStarting next Thursday, August 17th, Tami and I will be hosting a new small group which will set up 10 great dates with your honey. In fact, that's the name of the curriculum and book we'll be using. If you're interested in finding out more, give Tami a call (206-380-6363)
 Legendary UCLA basketball Coach John Wooden famously began each season with an unusual lesson: how to put on your shoes and socks. He instructed these scholarship athletes, most of whom had been playing basketball since they were little kids, that the foundational way they took care of their feet was important to every other part of playing the game. He emphasized that they needed to take care that their socks had no wrinkles that might cause blisters and that their shoes were laced up tightly so that their feet did not slide around inside of them. It may seem silly to go back to such basic concepts after years of playing the game, but making certain that everyone is on the same page has many benefits. The same can be said for a church congregation and that's what we will be doing as we focus on Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus. This Sunday, August 6th, we begin a series working our way through Ephesians. It's a rich book that explains the nature and purpose of the church as the body of Christ. I believe that it will be a valuable refresher and realignment as we approach our 30th year as Community Covenant Church. I hope to see you this week and throughout series. Crisis Fund OfferingThis Sunday we'll have a basket collecting donations which will then be used to help those within our congregation and community who find themselves in financial need. You can make a check out to "CCC" and place it or cash into the basket following the worship service or drop it off/mail it to the church with a designation that it should be applied to the Crisis Fund. Thank you for enabling us to share the love of Jesus in a practical way. New Marriage-Focused Small Group to Begin Tami and I will be hosting a marriage-small group at our home on Friday evenings. If you've been thinking that your marriage could use a boost, join us for a 10 week Bible study titled, "10 Great Dates to Energize Your Marriage." The study will encourage our commitment to more intentional communication, intimacy, conflict-resolution, and most importantly our spiritual life together. Recognizing that sharing your most vulnerable relationship with others might be a scary thing, please know that we all have our own issues; this will be a safe place with confidentiality and no judgement. We'll begin on Friday, August 11th at 7:00 in our home (the green mobile home next to the church.) Since it's summer we know you may not be available every week, but don't let that stand in your way from joining us as you are able! Pray with your spouse and see if this is something that God is nudging you to do. The book is available from Amazon. |
Pastor JeffThoughts about living as a Jesus follower and life at Community Covenant Church Archives
December 2020
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