THE PRESBYTERIAN
The Presbyterian Church of Garden City Newsletter 275-9141 February 14, 2007
As
faithful members of the Presbyterian Church of Garden City,
Congregational Meeting
February 25, 2007
A Special Congregational Meeting will be
held on
Sunday, February 25,
2007
following worship to
elect a representative
to the Board of
Deacons for the Class of 2009.
Pastor’s Prose
I have just finished
reading an article in the May/June issue of Horizons magazine. Horizons is the
official magazine for the Presbyterian Women. And they do a really good job of
publishing it. It’s pregnant with viable stories and rich in worship and prayer
possibilities. The article that I just completed reading was entitled “I
Believe - Help My Unbelief.”
The subtitle is ‘The
Problem of Healing’ and the article was written by, Dee Dee Risher. Ms. Risher
is a writer and poet who lives in
The focus of Risher’s article is about
the healing of her husband. She speaks of a healing prayer service for her
spouse of fifteen (15) years. She describes the service as a combination of
miraculous and terrifying experiences. It was terrifying because they were
asking others to pray for her spouse in the midst. It was also terrifying
because they were asking for specific and immediate healing from one of the
widest spread and least understood illnesses of the mind.
Ms. Risher shares about the lifting of
the depression after five (5) years of suffering and that the five (5) people
that gathered that night were praying just like they prayed every Tuesday night
for the previous five (5) years. The terrifying part was for the same time
frame they had been praying for Jane, a dear friend who struggled with mental
health issues (hearing voices, battling severe paranoia and times of intense
anxiety). Many people had invested a lot of time in praying for Jane’s healing.
There was no apparent healing. The question Dee Dee was asking was “why was my
spouse healed and Jane wasn’t? Why, why, why?”
Ms. Risher says something that is very
poignant, “ Although the Bible is riff with healings and although healings are
at the core of Jesus’ ministry, there is no getting around it - healing,
especially miraculous healing, raises issues.” Now Ms. Risher suggests that
she’s beginning to think that healing is one of the issues that has split the
church. On one hand we have Christians who focus on personal encounters with God’s grace and power and believing
that God works at healing through a system process. On the other hand, we have
Christians who buy into enlightenment thinking and see these miraculous flash
happenings to be the result of evangelistic manipulation.
I was interested to see that Dee Dee
Risher believes that for most of its history, the church has linked healing and
belief together and the Bible often does the same. Those who are healed believe
and those who aren’t healed probably don’t believe. Ms Risher doesn’t believe
this and neither do I. I believe we as the church need to reclaim the tradition
of miraculous healing, we need to expect it and we need to pray for it most of
all we need to confess and repent of our skepticism. Ms Risher says,
“Expectation of healing does foster a climate in which healings are more likely
to take place.” However we need to understand that God’s view of healing is not
necessarily what we expect. ~ ~ ~ Dave
~ ~ ~
Ash Wednesday
Communion service will
be held on Wednesday,
February
21st at 6:30 pm.
Everyone
in welcome to start the
evening
with a Pot Luck dinner at
6:00
pm.
Sermons A La Carte
Beginning February
22,
come join us for the
community Lenten services
each Thursday noon
hour during Lent.
Sermons begin at noon
followed by lunch at
12:30 pm.
It’s not too late to join the adult
class now meeting in the Parlor “Invitation to the Old Testament” led by Jon
Ansley. Lots of lively discussion and
DVD clips help you become acquainted or reacquainted with the Hebrew scriptures.
It’s not too late to join the adult
class meeting in the Library “The Present Word”. Led by Judy Ackley they are studying the Gospel of John.
Table of 8
Lay Ministry will again be organizing
the Table of 8 dinners.
Participants will be
divided into groups. Members will take turns hosting the group and providing
the main course. Others will bring side dishes. It is suggested each group have
at least four dinners during the year.
Sleep “Less” in
Presbytery event
for Middle and High School students, will be March 23 – 25. Cost is $30, transportation will be
provided. More information and
registration forms are on the bulletin board by the office. Please register by
March 7.
If
you have good memories of
Vacation Bible School, please consider serving with us at VBS this summer. We are in the process of choosing our
theme. If you have ideas or feel called
to this ministry, please contact Mary.
WORSHIP ASSISTANTS FOR SUNDAY
February 18, 2007
Greeters - Sharon, Kelli and Leslie Ford
Lay Leader - Steven Buchele
Ushers - Trace Woods, Brevin
Irvin, Kyle Ochampaugh, and
Steven Buchele
Fellowship - Joan Davis
Birthdays
Larry Zant 2/18
Zack McVey 2/19
Ron Roth 2/20
Candice Erwin 2/23
Lloydeen Wolfe 2/23
Leona Crotty 2/25
Brevin Irvin 2/25
Jessica Whitham 2/27
Greg Adams 3/1
Mitchell Mayfield 3/1
Jeb Meschke 3/3
Pray healing for Faye Hunt, Yvonne Allman, Pat LeClerc,
Susan Brookover, Bob Whippo,
Dale Meadors, Robert York, Debbie Harden, Freida
Greathouse, Laurie Bock, Marge Williams, Linda Friesner, Ruth Powell. Jim Hamlett, Jean Bisbee, John Lechliter, Nancy Stegman, Ruth Oliver, Theresa
Maddox, Eden Raine, Belinda Fouse, Sue Brownlee, Joe Delashmutt, Jane Smith,
Chris Inderlied.
(Please
call the church with your personal prayer request). God Bless All Of You.
The following
families have recently lost loved ones.
Please pray for Carty York on the death of
her father, Les DePew on the death of Helen, Cheryl Sweley on the death of her
mother, Connie Boese on the death of her mother, Candy Katz on the death of
Wilma Goulding, Mary Guy on the death of Charlie.
This
week’s prayer family is Bob and
Audrey Law.
Please pray for the Presbyterian Church in
This Week’s Activities
Sunday, February 18
Bell
Choir @ 8:30 am, Sunday school @ 9:30 am, Worship @ 10:45 am
Monday, February 19
Elders
and Deacons Far-out Brainstorming @ 6:00 pm
Tuesday, February 20
Celebration
Team @ 7:00 pm
Ash Wednesday, February
21
BBBS
@ noon, Pot Luck @ 6:00 pm,
Worship
Service @ 6:30 pm, Choir @ 7:30 pm
Thursday, February 22
Sermons A La Carte @ noon, Ladies Bible Study
@ 7:00 pm
Sunday, February 25
Bell
Choir @ 8:30 am, Sunday school @ 9:30 am, Worship @ 10:45 am
Monday, February 26
Session
@ 7:00 pm
Tuesday, February 27
Celebration
Team @ 7:00 pm
Wednesday, February 28
BBBS
@ noon, Celebrate Kids! @ 5:00 pm, Youth Groups @ 6:00, Choir @ 7:30
Thursday, March 1
Sermons
A La Carte @ noon, Personnel @ 5:30 pm, O&E @ 6:30 pm,
Ladies
Bible Study @ 7:00 pm
Friday, March 2
PW
Board @ 10:00 am, Jail Ministry @ 7:00 pm