Preacher Ponderings

As a young man I heard and read from time to time the old cliché, “You don’t know what you got till its gone.” But when you’re young and healthy and living a care-free life in the moment, that’s all it is to you – just a stupid cliche’. As I neared my fifth decade on this earth, I would come to learn how true it is.

Shannon and I knew it was going to be hard to move away from Monroe County. We just loved too much about it to think for a minute that we wouldn’t miss it all dearly. We could have never imagined just how different life was about to get.

To be near Shannon’s mom as she was dying, we moved in the Aberdeen church of Christ parsonage where we had lived 22 years prior. But as we would soon find out, it was a much different community than we had known and experienced two decades earlier.

Within a few days we discovered how dangerous the area had become. The county was, and is overrun by homelessness, drug, and violence. To get to our house we had to travel through the church parking lot which we learned was a favorite hangout for local drug dealers and prostitutes. Within the first week we had donned industrial strength gloves, grabbed a shovel, and scooped from the parking lot pavement 26 used-shall we call them- pregnancy prevention products, along with a dozen used hypodermic needles. I recall turning to Shannon one gloomy day and announcing, “You’re not in Laings anymore Dorothy!”

The days of leaving our doors unlocked, letting Josey Wales roam the neighborhood, and sitting out on a warm, quiet night listening to the whippoorwills were going to be nothing more than memories.

In the years since moving, I’ve twice had my pistol drawn on intruders. And on one of those occasions, the bad guy, who was masked and had a partner, also had a pistol. That was a scary night. Our flower beds are repeatedly used as toilets, and I don’t mean by the neighborhood dogs. That’s always a “fun” clean-up job.

Come to find out, it’s true – you don’t’ know what ya got, till it’s gone!

I really think this is what Peter is talking about in 2 Peter 2:20-21, when he mentions “…the last state being the worse than the first. For it would have been better for them to have never known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back…” We oft preached that this proves that some parts of hell are hotter than others, that there are degrees of punishment. But I’m no longer sure about that. Peter is simply reminding us that dealing with the horrible consequences of having gone along with the devil’s world is going to be doubly tragic for the former believer. He will have to eternally live with the knowledge that he once lived in God’s wonderful light, but now it’s gone.

We talk about how much those in Heaven will appreciate the faithfulness they maintained here on earth, but isn’t it safe to say that none will appreciate that faithfulness more than those who once had it but gave it up?

Appreciate and savor what you have right now in Jesus Christ. Keep your faith. Cherish his grace. Don’t’ move away from it or let the devil take it from you. Eternity is a long time to ponder the life you once had.

~Chuck Schultheisz - Aberdeen, WA

Anniversaries...

Abby and I are away this Sunday on a two-year delayed 10 year anniversary trip (thanks, COVID).  Consequently, my thoughts are on anniversaries as I write this article.  When I was first married, I always wondered how people could forget their anniversaries.  Of course, as a young newlywed, everything was new and exciting!  How could you possibly forget this wonderful day?  As time went on, I gained an understanding for how this can happen.  While I haven’t technically forgotten an anniversary, I have been guilty of allowing the business of life to interfere with the planning of a proper anniversary celebration.   Anniversaries can creep up on us, and by the time we realize the day, we haven’t made plans or preparations to celebrate.  While I technically didn’t forget, I did fail to plan.

Have you ever failed to plan for something?  Maybe it was something important and you realized that you also unintentionally communicated something in your failure to plan.  You communicated that whatever it was didn’t matter or that someone wasn’t important.  Thankfully, God didn’t fail to plan.  As soon as Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, He made arrangements for something else.  Genesis 3:15 is sometimes regarded by Bible scholars as the first mention of the gospel and prophesies the relationship between Eve and the Serpent: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”  This was ultimately fulfilled in Jesus, in His defeat of Satan at the cross.

Whether we plan or not for important events, I’m thankful to serve a God who is always one step ahead.  He’s always thinking of the next thing because we’re important to Him.

-Scott McFarland

Mid-Western Children's Home Update

Thank you for remembering the children by giving to us financially. As you may be aware, the cost of daily care and even finding the groceries available on the shelves has been tough.

We are trying to enjoy the last few days of summer before we begin school August 18. Our census has grown this summer; we are serving five additional children. The recreation program has gone on some enjoyable outings. We have had some work crews come to beautify the campus with staining the wood of the pavilion, barn deck, and replacing wood on the gazebo. Once again, I thank you for the gift to help the children we serve. Please continue to pray for them and the staff.

For the Children,

Barry Boverie
Executive Director

Your Help is Needed!

Last year, thanks to the generosity of the church family, we were able to send 100 MAGI boxes to bless children who without this program may not receive a gift for Christmas and would go without basic necessities. This year, in an effort to fill these boxes with as many items as possible we will be collecting in a couple different ways. The goal for the church is still 100 boxes but we want to fulfill the list this year! Let’s bless these kids in the best way we know how!

Here’s how you can help!

1. Each month, we will have a designated item/items to collect and place in the bins in the back of the church. These items will include warm weather outfits, hygiene products, basic school supplies, and small fun gifts. There will be announcements and notes in the bulletin each month for the items we are collecting. The goal is to gather items when they may be plentiful in stores and hopefully on sale!

2. Not a shopper? That’s ok! We learned last year that there are some items that make more sense financially for us to order in bulk from distributors and online retailers. We will have a special collection box in the back of the foyer for monetary donations to go straight to this ministry to buy items that are most needed.

This month’s selected items will be warm weather outfits. We aim to provide each child with a new outfit (shirt, shorts/skirt or dress, underwear, and flipflops). In the back of the church, we have placed the giving tree just like we do at Christmas, each tag will have listed boy or girl and an age range. Please consider picking out a child (or as many as you feel led to select) and shopping for them. Stores are marking down summer styles, so now is the time to purchase these items so we can bless the most children possible!

If you have questions, please contact Sherri Lallathin or RaLene Henthorn.

Thank you for your help!

Church of Christ Disaster Relief Update

Currently Church of Christ Disaster Relief efforts are sending supplies to the following areas and disasters: Virginia due to flooding; Kansas, Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas due to tornadoes; Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee (appliances and furniture) due to flooding and tornadoes. Recently they sent supplies to Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas due to forest fires. They are prepared to send more shipments of food, baby supplies, cleaning products, personal care items, water, appliances, bedding and other much needed supplies to victims of disasters as needed.

What’s Your Preference?

I’m not sure if I care for either.  My grandfather played the banjo, but I’m pretty sure I don’t have that gift and I don’t know anyone in our family that played the harp.  We all have our preferences though, don’t we?  One person likes harps, another likes banjos.  One person likes musicals, another likes action movies.  One person likes board games, another likes car shows.  One person likes contemporary, another likes traditional.

We’re familiar with preferences in everyday life, but what about preferences in the church?  What’s the difficulty with preferences in the church?  We have to endure everyone else’s!  To be clear, I’m not talking about things that are doctrinal or clear mandates in Scripture.  I’m talking about preferences in the way we do things, and we can get pretty insistent on our preferences!  I’m sure you’ve seen people get upset about a lot of things that happen in church.  Most of the time, it has nothing to do with core doctrinal beliefs.  It’s the color for the new carpet, whether we should move the furniture in the lobby, the design of the new bathrooms, having a contemporary or traditional worship, serving communion before or after the sermon, when to do announcements, who we like leading worship, which preacher we prefer, etc.  The list goes on and on and on.

Preferences are not bad, so long as we remember to keep the main thing the main thing.  Never allow a preference to become a point of division and never allow preference to take precedence over the mission.

             -Scott McFarland

V.B.S. 2022

What a week!  This past week, our VBS taught an average of 65 kids each night.  Games, crafts, and puppet skits all worked together to teach the kids a different Bible story each night.  I heard they even enjoyed special appearances by Moses and Elijah!  As the kids were enjoying their time of learning, the adults were gathered in the auditorium for a class and discussion on how to parent through the social media age.  We had about 40 parents join us each night.  It was a great time of learning and discussion! 

If you helped out or participated in any way this week, thank you!  I’m reminded in weeks such as this one of the collective power we have as a church body.  There is so much talent, ability, and potential within our church family when we come together for something.  Often, we can get discouraged when we work on our own because we don’t see results very quickly or easily.  The problem isn’t us, however; it’s that we are only one person.  God never intended for us to do ministry or live the Christian life alone.  It was always designed to be done in community, with other people.  This week was proof of that.  Thank you!

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.  For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.  For the body does not consist of one member but of many.

—I Corinthians 12:12-14

      -Scott McFarland

V.B.S. Thank You

It’s all about the numbers (jk, former math teacher).  My heart cannot express the gratitude it feels for: 

 1 amazing adult class teacher
2 technicians 
3 stage cast members & impersonators
4 cradle roll keepers & crafty cooks
5 classroom leaders
6 (and more) incredible gamers
7 official greeters
11 behind the scenes doers
45 additional helpers and workers
50 adult attenders
75 amazing children and 100’s of prayers
1,000’s of generous donations

And most importantly,
An infinite God that blessed our church beyond measure!

Love each and every ONE of you,
Merna
 

Vacation Bible School Update

Each evening of VBS, there will be a parenting class in the auditorium from 6-7:30pm.  We will be using a video series called "Engage:  Navigating Parenting in a Social Media Age" with Kirk Cameron.  Come join us and invite a friend!

There will be a friendly class competition for Vacation Bible School.  Each night of VBS, the children are asked to bring an item for the M.A.G.I. project.

Sunday:  Coloring Book Ages 2-7
Monday:  Children's flip flops
Tuesday:  Matchbox cars & trucks
Wednesday:  Jump ropes

Thank You

Thank you so much for the beautiful flowers on Mother’s Day. Your loving kindness meant so much to me. May we all look to Jesus and follow what he has taught us. Remember John 3:16 and be immersed. Let this be the journey of your soul.

Love from, Doris Ady