November 2015 Newsletter

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November 2015 Newsletter

Have a great day!!
Carmen

Youth Christmas Play Practice

Our annual Christmas Play will be held Sunday December 13th, during the normal worship hour at 11. Play practice starts this Sunday, November 8th.

Please have your children here at 9:55 AM. This year's play will have just a couple of lines for each child to learn. Come join us! If you have any questions please call Molly McMillan.

Scripture for Sunday (11/8/15)

Announcements:  

• Today at 5:00 the nominating committee will meet to fill out the class of elders for 2018.
• Today at 5:30 the budget committee will be meeting.
• Saturday morning we will have men's breakfast at 8:00 AM.

Scripture for Sunday

1 Kings 18:20-39 (ESV)  

So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel.  [21] And Elijah came near to all the people and said, "How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." And the people did not answer him a word.  [22] Then Elijah said to the people, "I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal's prophets are 450 men.  [23] Let two bulls be given to us, and let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. And I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood and put no fire to it.  [24] And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, he is God." And all the people answered, "It is well spoken."  [25] Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many, and call upon the name of your god, but put no fire to it."  [26] And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, "O Baal, answer us!" But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made.  [27] And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, "Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened."  [28] And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them.  [29] And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention. 

[30] Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me." And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down.  [31] Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, "Israel shall be your name,"  [32] and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two seahs of seed.  [33] And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, "Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood."  [34] And he said, "Do it a second time." And they did it a second time. And he said, "Do it a third time." And they did it a third time.  [35] And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water. 

[36] And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, "O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.  [37] Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back."  [38] Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.  [39] And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, "The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God."  

Scripture for Sunday (11/1/15)

Scripture
1 Kings 12:1-17 (ESV) 

Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.  [2] And as soon as Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), then Jeroboam returned from Egypt.  [3] And they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and said to Rehoboam,  [4] "Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you." [5] He said to them, "Go away for three days, then come again to me." So the people went away.  [6] Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, "How do you advise me to answer this people?"  [7] And they said to him, "If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer them, then they will be your servants forever."  [8] But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him.  [9] And he said to them, "What do you advise that we answer this people who have said to me, 'Lighten the yoke that your father put on us'?"  [10] And the young men who had grown up with him said to him, "Thus shall you speak to this people who said to you, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it for us,' thus shall you say to them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's thighs.  [11] And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.' "  [12] So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king said, "Come to me again the third day."  [13] And the king answered the people harshly, and forsaking the counsel that the old men had given him,  [14] he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions."  [15] So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by the Lord that he might fulfill his word, which the Lord spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.  [16] And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, "What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David." So Israel went to their tents.  [17] But Rehoboam reigned over the people of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah. 

1 Kings 12:25-29 (ESV) 

Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. And he went out from there and built Penuel.  [26] And Jeroboam said in his heart, "Now the kingdom will turn back to the house of David.  [27] If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the temple of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah."  [28] So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, "You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt."  [29] And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. 

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (10/18/15)

Monday – October 19:  Round-Up for Rehab at noon at the First Methodist Church Fellowship Hall.  There will be a Chuck Wagon Lunch and Auction.

** No Kids for Christ or Youth meetings this week.  Jim and Laurie will be at Mo-Ranch for  a conference.  **

Scripture
Ruth 1:1-22 (ESV)  

In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. [2] The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. [3] But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. [4] These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, [5] and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband. 

[6] Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had visited his people and given them food. [7] So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. [8] But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. [9] The Lord grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!" Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. [10] And they said to her, "No, we will return with you to your people." [11] But Naomi said, "Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? [12] Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, [13] would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me." [14] Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. 

[15] And she said, "See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law." [16] But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. [17] Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you." [18] And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more. 

[19] So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, "Is this Naomi?" [20] She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. [21] I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?" 

[22] So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest. 

Questions for Reflection
1. How does it feel to be in a foreign country?
2. What characteristics do you think are most important in a friend?
3. What is the nicest thing a friend or family member has ever done for you?
4. What kind of relationship did Naomi have with her daughters-in-law? (1:8-10)
5. Why did Ruth decide to stay with her mother-in-law, Naomi? (1:16)
6. How did Ruth reveal her commitment to Naomi’s God? (1:17)
7. What is one characteristic you see in the life of Ruth that you want to have?
8. In what specific ways can we demonstrate loyalty or devotion to God?

Upcoming Events

Tuesday, October 13 
Presbyterian Women - 9:45
Session - 6 PM  
Kid’s for Christ is our after school program for children in K-5. The church van picks the children up from school at 3:30. Please pick up children at the church at 5:00.

Wednesday, October 14
No Presbyterian Youth Fellowship. We will be meeting at the High School for Fields of Faith.

Saturday, October 17
Men’s Breakfast, 8 AM

Sunday, October 18
Church Picnic following worship. Meat and drinks will be provided. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share.

Monday, October 19
Round-Up for Rehab, noon.  Chuck Wagon Lunch PLUS Auction at the First Methodist Church Fellowship Hall.

Tuesday, October 20
No Kids for Christ (after school program).  Jim and Laurie will be at a conference.

Scripture for Sunday (10/11/15)

Scripture

From the beginning of the story of the exodus from Egypt, the narrative lectionary jumps directly to a moment forty years later, just before Moses’ death and the entrance of the Israelites into the promised land.  Here the action pauses while Moses instructs the people, reminding them of all that their parents were commanded at Mount Horeb immediately after they left Egypt.

Deut. 5:1-21 (ESV)  

And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, "Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them.  [2] The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.  [3] Not with our fathers did the Lord make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive today.  [4] The Lord spoke with you face to face at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire,  [5] while I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord. For you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up into the mountain. He said: [6] " 'I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. [7] " 'You shall have no other gods before me. [8] " 'You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.  [9] You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,  [10] but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. [11] " 'You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. [12] " 'Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you.  [13] Six days you shall labor and do all your work,  [14] but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.  [15] You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. 

    [16] " 'Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
    [17] " 'You shall not murder.
    [18] " 'And you shall not commit adultery.
    [19] " 'And you shall not steal.
    [20] " 'And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
    [21] " 'And you shall not covet your neighbor's wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.'

Deut. 6:4-9 (ESV)  

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  [5] You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  [6] And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.  [7] You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.  [8] You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  [9] You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.