Easter Monday and those crazy Canadians

Easter Monday
Easter Monday is the Monday following Easter. It is not a statutory holiday except in Quebec, where the employer has the choice of providing the employee a holiday on either Good Friday or Easter Monday.
Early Christians celebrated the days immediately following Easter - the most important holy day in the Christian church - by telling jokes, playing pranks, and feasting on lamb. People would add fragrant oil or perfume to the Easter water they brought home from church, and then use this water to sprinkle and bless their food, pets, gardens, and homes.

On Easter Monday morning, men would wake their wives with a spritz of the perfumed Easter water as they whispered, "May you never wither." On Easter Tuesday, women would return the favor as they awakened their husbands with a bucketful of the scented water!

Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

Indoor Easter Egg Hunt

1.) We've decided to go ahead with our plans for tomorrow. The Easter Egg hunt (and surrounding activities) will take place in the Student Center of Oak Hall from 10-noon.


2.) Remember, there is no Sunday School this week.
10am worship with children's program is the only Easter day activity.

3.) Today is Good Friday. Why is the day commemorating the murder of the good man called good? Because of what it accomplished:
He was wounded for our transgressions;
He was crushed for our iniquities.

My Last Visit with Terri Schiavo

My Last Visit with Terri Schiavo - Christianity Today Magazine

Random Info

From time to time i am asked about information on homosexuality. Here are two groups that regularly help people find freedom from this type of sexual sin. Harvest also helps with heterosexual sin, particularly pornography.HarvestUSA
http://www.exodus-international.org/

Sunday at Christ Community

9am Classes for all ages
10am worship with special contribution by children, celebrating Palm Sunday; the sermon will be from
Acts 9:32-43

6pm "Christ in the Passover" interactive 45 minute lecture


also, pray for UF Film Festival today, our own Kimberley Wilder speaking

St. Patrick

He was a Roman who was taken from his home in Scotland at 16 to be a slave in
Ireland and his service was to be a humble Shepherd. Later he would shepherd a
whole people and train over 350 Shepherds of God's flock. I am sure by now you
have guessed his name: Patrick. The exact dates of his life are not certain, but
one historian has it that he was born 387 and died March 17, 493. His day has
been memorialized as a Feast Day, March 17. And of course he is the Patron of
Ireland and the Irish, whose symbols are the cross, harp, serpent, baptismal
font, demons, and the shamrock. All of these have significance in his biography.

The Collect for the Day from the Book of Common Prayer (1928)
O ALMIGHTY God, who in thy providence didst choose thy servant Patrick to be an
apostle to the people of Ireland, to bring those who were wandering in darkness
and error to the true light and knowledge of thee: Grant us so to walk in that
light, that we may come at last to the light of everlasting life; through the
merits of Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. Amen.

Help Prepare for Easter Egg Hunt

Ladies are invited to Debbie Staples' home to enjoy one another and stuff plastic eggs with candy... in preparation for the children's egg hunt on March 26th.
8:15 come stuff your bellies
8:30 come stuff easter eggs

contact tamara johnston at 332-5403 with any questions

End of a good day... various topics

Sunday Night 10:30pm...

1. Someone left a Romans 8 folder and purple water bottle at Hope. It is in the church office now.
2. This week I'll be posting some of my thoughts on Nathaniel's wonderful message today... for now let me clear up a confusing point for some of you: Nathaniel was saying that the "old" way of doing missions called for an American congregation to raise $60K per year to send and keep an American to a place like Togo. What he wants to do is get the American Christians to:
a.) pay $2600 per year to have a native Togoan plant another church
b.) come to Togo for short-term training of the Togoan pastors
3. Congregation voted to purchase the 5 acres on Parker Road tonite. Very exciting.
4. Elders had a very successful and encouraging meeting with 5 members of congregation who are considering being on the BUILDING PROJECT TEAM that would lead us. Even more exciting.
5. My Mississippi State Bulldogs are playing Stanford in Round 1. That is a fitting matchup since both schools are Ivy League-ish.
6. Interactive Lecture on how Jesus Christ is portrayed in the Passover Meal is Sunday at 6pm at Faith. I'd love to see 30+ of you come out for that. I think it will enhance your communion experience in the future.

Great Day Sunday

Sunday.... African Pastor Nathaniel Adawonu will be with us Sunday .... we'll be looking at Acts 1 together. That's at 10am. At 9am there are classes for children and Richard Horner class on the Gospels enters a new phase. (there is a link to Nathaniel's bio lower on this page)

Remember to pray for each other. Some are grieving. Others confused. Pray for your church family.

Ray Treadwell was strengthened by your prayers and did great last night speaking at Crusade.

http://www.gate-riverrun.com/ is where Ray and Rob and several others from Christ Community will be on Saturday. This might explain things if you see several of us looking sore Sunday morning!

Sunday evening we gather at Hope Church to vote on the purchase of the land on Parker Road. All are extremely welcome; voting will be done by members. 6pm until 6:50. Childcare available for age 5 and under. Other children will need to be in the meeting with their parents.

Grace & Peace,
Rob

Why Are You a Christian ?

I just picked up this book Why I Am a Christian : John Stott at public library, and before i read it i want to answer that question myself. Why am I? What drew me? What keeps me? How 'bout you? I think it would be a great exercise for you and encouragement to others if several of you decided to cobble together some brief thoughts. Whether it is just a couple of paragraphs or several bullet points... send them along to me.

Ray Treadwell speaking at UF Campus Crusade

Pray for Ray as he speaks on Genesis 22 tonite at 8:30pm.
Students, pray and come. more info at ufcrusade.com

One of you asked...

A 12 year old from non-religious background wants to know about God. How should i help?

This was my response, maybe others will be helped by the same info:

1. Would they consider reading the gospel of Mark?
2. Have they read Lion, Witch and Wardrobe?
They should, b/c it wonderfully shows
i.) Aslan (Jesus) as tender and terrible
ii.) Edmund’s “sin” must pay a price
iii.) Aslan dies and is raised in Edmund’s place
iv.) Aslan is renewing the whole of Narnia, not simply saving the soul of Edmund and the others
v.) It is a great story and the movie comes out soon and children need to form these figures in their OWN imagination before they see the movie

3. This is a classic children's book that one of my friends who worked w/ mega irreligious girls at Vanderbilt used to have them read… it is truly a classic.
http://store.discerningreader.com/chilstorbibc1.html

4. Also, we have in church office that red workbook for children.

5. Is there anyone who could read and adapt john stott’s basic Christianity? This is the best intro I’m aware of.

Finally, Christianity rises or falls on Jesus Christ. I’d try to focus it there. Either he is who he says or not. Help her to think about Jesus and his claims about himself and her.

Good on ya,

Rob

2 prayer meetings at Study Center Today

If you are around campus with an unscheduled half-hour... Ray Treadwell is leading a prayer meeting from 11:00-11:30 AND another one from 1:00-1:30. Today. Wednesday. IN the classroom of the Christian Study Center

Palm Sunday; Passover; Jesus

On Sunday Evening March 20th we will be gathering with our brothers and sisters at Faith Presbyterian for an interactive seminar explaining the Passover recorded in Exodus. Rev. Ron Elkin, will demonstrate the prophetic picture that the Passover feast gave of Jesus Christ 1400 years before He came to Earth. This will tremendously help your understanding of our monthly communion service! An optional Jewish meal will be served afterward, for those who sign up. You'll hear more soon, but mark your calendar.

Nathaniel Adawonu will be with us Sunday

Nathaniel Adawonu

women in Romans 8

starts today
MORNING: 10:45 at French home 332-4486
or
EVENING 7:30 at gallagher home 337-1468

The women are studying what many call the greatest chapter in the bible. Here is where we get:
"There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
and
"Nothing shall separate us from the love of God in Christ."

Paradox

From The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe:
Is - is he a man?” asked Lucy.
“Aslan a man!” said Mr Beaver sternly. “Certainly not. I tell you he is the king of the wood and son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Don't you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion - the lion, the great Lion.”
“Ooh!” said Susan, “I'd thought he was a man. Is he - quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”
“That you will, dearie, and no mistake,” said Mrs Beaver. “If there is anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just plain silly.”
“Then he isn't safe?” said Lucy.
“Safe?” said Mr Beaver, “don't you know what Mrs Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King I tell you.”

Kenneth Graham provides a classic example of this tremendous mystery in his book, The Wind in the Willows at the point when Mole and Rat have an encounter with the divine Piper at the Gates of Dawn:
Suddenly, the Mole felt a great awe fall upon him, an awe that turned his muscles to water and bowed his head and rooted his feet to the ground. It was no panic terror. Indeed he felt wonderfully at peace and happy. But it was an awe that smote him and held him. He raised his humble head and then in the utter clearness of the eminent Dawn, he looked into the very eyes of his Friend and Helper. And as he looked, he lived. And still as he lived, he wondered. “Rat . . . Rat,” he found breath to whisper, shaking, “Are you afraid?”
“Afraid?” murmured the Rat, his eyes shining with unutterable love. “Afraid? Of Him? Oh, never, never. And yet, and yet . . . oh Mole, I am afraid.”
And then the two animals, crouching to the earth, bowed their heads and did worship.

Come!

“Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food."
ESV Bible Online: Passage: isaiah 55

Flesh of His Flesh

What does it mean to eat the crucified body of Christ and to drink His shed blood?
First, to accept with a believing heart all the suffering and the death of Christ, and so receive forgiveness of sins and life eternal.[1] Second, to be united more and more to His sacred body through the Holy Spirit, who lives both in Christ and in us.[2] Therefore, although Christ is in heaven[3] and we are on earth, yet we are flesh of His flesh and bone of His bones,[4] and we forever live and are governed by one Spirit, as the members of our body are by one soul.[5]

[1] John 6:35, 40, 50-54. [2] John 6:55, 56; I Cor. 12:13. [3] Acts 1:9-11; 3:21; I Cor. 11:26; Col. 3:1. [4] I Cor. 6:15, 17; Eph. 5:29, 30; I John 4:13. [5] John 6:56-58; 15:1-6; Eph. 4:15, 16; I John 3:24.

9am classes 10am worship, celebrating holy communion

Nothing in my hands i bring, simply to Thy cross I cling.

Who Made You?

God made me. There have been some recent discussions in the GvilleSun about the sad reality that many don't know this simple and simply liberating truth. Here's a resource you may be unaware of:

Berkeley's Radical

A Father's Resolutions by Cotton Mather

"When the children are of a fit age for it, I will sometimes closet them; have them with me alone; talk with them about the state of their souls; their experiences, their proficiencies, their temptations; obtain their declared consent unto every jot and tittle of the gospel; and then pray with them, and weep unto the Lord for His grace, to be bestowed upon them, and make them witnesses of the agony with which I am travailing to see the image of Christ formed in them. Certainly, they'll never forget such actions! " Cotton MatherRead the other 20:

Why We Pray

Revival, I define, as a work of God by his Spirit through his Word bringing the spiritually dead to living faith in Christ and renewing the inner life of Christians who have grown slack and sleepy. In revival God makes old things new, giving new power to law and gospel and new spiritual awareness to those whose hearts and consciousness have been blind, hard and cold. Revival thus animates or reanimates churches and Christian groups to make a spiritual and moral impact on communities.—J.I. Packer

"Hospitality has a thousand different looks, because it is a responsibility for us all"

A Bowl of Soup and a Listening Ear:

Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. --Psalm 34:3

thoughts for tomorrow's prayer meetings.....
I am positively sure after many years of observation and prayer that the basis of all of our trouble today, in religious circles, is that our God is too small.

When he says magnify the Lord, he doesn't mean that you are to make God big, but you are to see Him big. When we take a telescope and look at a star, we don't make the star bigger, we only see it big. Likewise you cannot make God bigger, but you are only to see Him bigger....

My brethren, God calls us to magnify Him, to see Him big. A meeting is not big because a lot of people are present. A meeting is big because a number of people see a big God in the meeting. And the bigger God is seen, the greater the meeting. A friend of mine has a little saying, 'I would rather have a big, little meeting than a little, big meeting.' There are a lot of big meetings that are little because the God in them is a small God. And there are a lot of little meetings that are big because God is big in the midst of them.... (AW Tozer)