MESSAGE FROM PASTOR SMITH SEPTEMBER 2017

Transcription

1 C ORNERSTONE CHRIST THE KING LUTHERAN CHURCH 1505 S. FORD STREET, REDLANDS, CA (909) ctkredlands.org MESSAGE FROM PASTOR SMITH SEPTEMBER 2017 Dearly beloved of Christ the King; The Lord be with you. Get real! This little linguistic gem has multiple uses. Originally I suspect it was meant to call those who are truth challenged back to reality. Reality is a productive place to be. School is where we teach children to get real. In school children learn the basics of reality, the truth about our physical world, and how to navigate life in a productive manner. There are inescapable truths that have been crafted into the physical realm. Physics, chemistry, mathematics, and biology all deal with what is real. Christianity is real. Christianity is based on fact. God s life defines reality. God s life both informs and invades our own. The Ten Commandments are reality. Ultimately, reality is inescapable. Gravity is inescapable. The periodic table of elements is a reality upon which we have built remarkable advances; it too is inescapable. All around us in this late age we can see the evidence of a movement away from reality. All around us we can see the wild contortions of those who desire to escape reality, to evade God. Such activity will have consequences. In his book The Magician s Nephew, C.S. Lewis writes this priceless line: The trouble with trying to be stupider than you already are is that you very often succeed. Distancing yourself from reality is unproductive individually and for those in your sphere of influence. There is a reason that God s proper name is Yahweh. When Moses asked for God s name at the burning bush the Almighty said: I AM WHO I AM. In Hebrew, this is pronounced Yah-way. God is the being one. As the creator of heaven and earth, Yahweh establishes reality for His creation a very good reality. Jesus frequently reinforced this understanding of reality. About Himself Jesus said the following: I am the way, the truth, and the life. Note the use of the definite article (the) in His words. In an allusion to His own divinity Jesus made this self-revelation: Before Abraham was, I AM. Too often we look to ourselves to define reality. My world, my life, my vision, my insights, my opinions, my experiences, my values, my understanding such an ego centric perspective will have consequences. The most immediate consequence is to marginalize God and elevate oneself to a position of authority. I am quite guilty of this unhappy exchange. At such times, I need someone in my ear saying: Get real! School is not the only place we learn of reality. Church is where the highest and most sublime realities are unveiled for the heart, the mind, and the soul. When our world narrows because all we can see is the emptiness in our bank account, the debt in our health, or the deficit in our love life it is a divine perspective that needs to invade to fill us the length and breadth of enduring truth a life beyond our own. Man is corrupt because of original sin, the sin inherited from Adam and passed through the generations. That is reality. Sin has fractured humanity s relationship with God. That is reality. We do not have the ability to repair what is broken; that is reality. God, Who is both merciful and just, desires to reclaim fallen humanity for He loves what He created in His own image. That is most certainly true. In love, the Father sent His Son to be an atoning sacrifice the pay the price for sin. That is reality for all time. The Son of God was crucified, died, and was buried. The third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures. Does this sound familiar? It should. The reality is this: Your sins are forgiven, Christ is the Lord, and the Word of the Lord remains forever. Get real. Go to church. Peace be with you, Pastor Smith

2 Work Day in the Church CTK Cornerstone 2 September 2017

3 Great Job! CTK Cornerstone 3 September 2017

4 Getting Closer As of August 30, your faithful giving has contributed: $68,685 That s 98% of our $70,000 goal. 84% CTK Cornerstone 4 September 2017

5 Christ the King Missions We at Christ the King support numerous missions locally and around the world. July 2017 Mission Support Good Shepherd Lutheran Church $ Concordia Theological Seminary $ Lutherans for Life $ Pregnancy & Family Resource Center $ Tian Shan Mission Society $ Youth Hope Foundation of Redlands $ LCMS World Mission $ Hinkle Pregnancy & Family Resouce Center $ Seminary Support - Justin Woodside $1, Total Cash Contributions $2, CTK July 2017 Treasurer's Report July 2017 Jan - July 2017 Ordinary Income/Expense Income GENERAL OFFERINGS $25, $162, OTHER OPERATING INCOME $12, $69, INTEREST INCOME $86.46 $1, FUNDRAISING INCOME $82.00 $4, Total Income $38, $237, Expense ACTIVITIES $ $12, ADMINISTRATION $ $12, BANK FEES $0.00 $ MAINTENANCE $ $4, MISSIONS $1, $11, SALARIES AND WAGES $13, $84, PAYROLL EXPENSES/BENEFITS $3, $25, PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT $ $2, WORSHIP $ $1, Total Expense $21, $155, Net Ordinary Income $17, $81, BUILDING FUND $11, $51, Net Income $6, $30, CTK Cornerstone 5 September 2017

6 CTK September 2017 Events COUPLES BIBLE STUDY FRIDAY at 7:30pm, September 1st Join us in Pastor Smith s home for an enlightening time as we study God s Word and in the light of God s gift of marriage, followed by choice desserts. Hope to see you there. WEDNESDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY Please join us on Wednesday mornings at 9:30am in the Parish Hall. Everyone is welcomed. With in the Church Office CTK WOMEN S COFFEE FELLOWSHIP 3 RD TUESDAY, September 19 th AT 9AM Set aside an hour to enjoy some sisterly fellowship and café refreshments at the ESRI Café, located at 380 New York Street in Redlands (south of the post office). Hope to see you there. School fundraiser on September 24th from 4pm to 8pm. at Chipotle on Orange Street in Redlands. Mention the school and bring a flyer! The school gets 50% of sales!!! All proceeds go towards the school construction project! LWML NEWS Hello Everyone, Starting another great year for LWML we have some new speakers and fun activities that we think everyone will enjoy! So if you haven't been to a meeting, come and check out the great salads and of course delicious desserts. Our first meeting and potluck lunch is Sunday, September 10th after bible study and the speaker is Betty Crickon from Good Shepherd in Yucaipa. She s going to give us the happenings from the last LWML Convention that was in New Mexico. Hope to see some new people and the regulars there!! Renee Murphy LWML President LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF SCHOOL KITS School Kits - It is still time to donate a few dollars for the Lutheran World Relief school kits. We could use $ or more for shipping, etc. Thanks to your help with items for the kits, we will reach our goal of 100 kits. Thank you all who participated. LBW LOCATION CHANGE Lutheran Braille Workers volunteers will meet on Monday, Septmber 11, at the Lutheran Braille Workers office, California St., Yucaipa, at 9:15am. Directions: Take I-10 east to County Line Rd. exit, turn left; go 1 1/2 miles to California St., turn left; go about 2 blocks. Look for LBW office on the right. Those that wish to carpool please let Pauline know and meet at CTK on Ford St. side at 8:45 am. Contact Pauline Gruenler, , if you have questions. 09/05 Bill & Gladys Nye 09/06 Robert & Monique Arnold 09/10 Ken & Cheri Haarala 09/26 Mike & Anna Bush If your special date did not appear or is incorrect, please contact Cindy Currier at the church office /03 Deborah Perez 09/24 Sue Meaney 09/05 Jordan Currier 09/24 Samuel Smith 09/08 Dustin Hogue 09/25 Lila Feiken 09/09 Michael Hogue 09/27 Iva Lane 09/13 Brenda Egeland 09/27 Betty Mitchell 09/13 Colby Miller 09/30 Betty Garner 09/18 Russ Gross 09/30 Dominick Vasquez 09/18 Duane Stemple CTK Cornerstone 6 September 2017

7 CTK September 2017 Events Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday :30 PM Couples Bible Study Evangelism Meeting (Installing Officers & Teachers) 1st Day of Sunday School 11:30 AM Jr. Confirmation Class School Board Meeting Stewardship Meeting Collect Mites Sunday School 11:30 AM Jr. Confirmation Class Women's Coffee Fellowship Elder Meeting Sunday School 11:30 AM Jr. Confirmation Class 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM Chipotle School Fundraiser Church Council Meeting CTK Cornerstone 7 September 2017

8 Christ the King Lutheran Church 1505 S. Ford Street Redlands, CA Servants for September 2017 DATE ACOLYTES ALTAR ELDERS Sept 3 Emma Hinkleman Gina Boehm Tom Crowley Sept 10 Sophie Haarala Bernice David Dwayne Danielson Sept 17 Hanna Miller Anna Bush Don David Sept 24 Gabby Vasquez Judy Alder Vic Haynes DATE FLOWERS DATE FINANCE Sept 3 Gloria Paulus & Family Sept 3 & 10 Robert Arnold & Joy Phillips Sept 10 Mike & Anna Bush Sept 17 &24 Mary Coppenger & Margaret Nowak Sept 17 Mike & Lee Alhorn DATE USHERS Sept 24 Betty Garner Sept 3 & 10 Steve Aimar & Tom Crowley Sept 17 &24 John Mitchell & James Wilson