REMEMBER TO TURN YOUR CLOCKS AHEAD

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1 Church Office: THE SOLID ROCK CHURCH Mailing Address: 3601 Cypress Gardens Rd Cypress Gardens Rd., Suite Q PO Box 926 Suite C Winter Haven, Florida Winter Haven, FL Winter Haven, FL (863) Weekly Epistle Services: Sundays 10:00 a.m. Wednesdays: Prayer 4:30 - Supper 5:30 - Service 6:15 p.m. Soaking Prayer: First Wednesday of the month and by appointment REMEMBER TO TURN YOUR CLOCKS AHEAD Don t be late for church tomorrow; set your clocks ahead one hour tonight. (you ll get the hour back in the fall) The Rocket.35 1

2 YOU ESPECIALLY DON T WANT TO MISS CHURCH TOMORROW. WE ARE ABOUT TO EMBARK ON A LITTLE PROJECT LIKE WE VE NEVER DONE BEFORE. And it involves EVERYONE Set Your Clocks ahead, be on time. You ll want to be a part of something you haven t seen before at tsrc. Flower Ministry TSRC is in need of someone to take over the Flower Ministry. Diane Barrett is no longer able to chair this ministry. This is a very easy, yet very necessary part of our Sunday service. It requires about an hour a week of your time. Please call Diane at to get all the easy details and instructions on how to serve in this ministry. The Rocket.35 2

3 The Season is: LENT Sun., 3/08/09 Gen 17:1-7, 15-16; Psalm 22:23-31; Rom 4:13-25; Mk. 8:31-38 Wed., 3/11/09 Jer 3:6-18; Psalm 119:73-96; Rom 1:28-2:11; Jn 5:1-18 A teaching moment from Fr. Andy: Treasure upon earth It is important to face squarely and honestly the question: what was Jesus prohibiting when he told us not to lay up treasure for ourselves on earth? It may help if we begin by listing what he was (and is) not forbidding. First, there is no ban on possessions in themselves; Scripture nowhere forbids private property. Secondly, 'saving for a rainy day' is not forbidden to Christians, or for that matter a life assurance policy which is only a kind of saving by self-imposed compulsion. On the contrary, Scripture praises the ant for storing in the summer the food it will need in the winter, and declares that the believer who makes no provision for his family is worse than an unbeliever (Pr. 6:6ff; 1 Tim. 5:8). Thirdly, we are not to despise, but rather to enjoy, the good things which our Creator has given us richly to enjoy (1 Tim. 4:3-4; 6:17). So neither having possessions, not making provision for the future, not enjoying the gifts of a good Creator is included in the ban on earthly treasurestorage. What then? What Jesus forbids his followers is the *selfish* accumulation of goods (NB 'Do not lay up *for yourselves* treasures on earth'); extravagant and luxurious living; the hardheartedness which does not feel the colossal need of the world's under-privileged people; the foolish fantasy that a person's life consists in the abundance of his possessions (Lk. 12:15); and the materialism which tethers our hearts to the earth. --From "The Message of the Sermon on the Mount" (The Bible Speaks Today series: Leicester and Downers Grove: IVP, 1978), p Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged." President Ronald Reagan The Rocket.35 3

4 Preliminary Financial Information thru March 5, 2009: $18,187 Income to Date $20,750 Budgeted Expenses to date $(2,563) Shortfall "Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference." Virginia Satir A re you coping through prayer? I Paul Wolfe passed away shortly after midnight Wed. morning. Some of you may know Paul from his service as Rector of Holy Cross Church from Services are planned for Saturday at St. Andrews Episcopal Church at 210 S. Indian River in Ft. Pierce, Florida. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the building fund at Paul's church: The Church of the Nativity 1151 SW Del Rio Blvd. Port St. Lucie, Fl Sandy Wolfe's address is : 1081 Mocking bird Drive SW Port St. Lucie, Fl The Rocket.35 4

5 A note from Mary All children of elementary school age and middle school age are invited to sing with Mary. Bring a friend with you and meet with Mary on Wednesday, March 11 th, at 4:15. Meet in the sanctuary for a time of singing, pizza, and lots of fun. In fact, bring two friends with you. There will be a training session for acolytes on Sunday, March 8 th, after the worship service. The training session will last approximately one hour. If your children or grandchildren would like to serve God on His altar, please have them at this training. If you have any questions or need more information, please call the church office. The Rocket.35 5

6 The World Beyond Our Parish Maybe it will change the heart of the president. (Inform ation from F ocus on the F am ily) What began as one box of red envelopes has become somewhat of a cultural phenomenon. Christ [pronounced with a short "i"] Otto has been involved in the pro-life movement for nearly 20 years. As the pro-abortion Barack Obama took office, Otto was rightly concerned and rightly praying about the situation. I believe God gave me an interesting idea, he says. Enter the box of red envelopes. Otto, 37, wants President Obama to receive hundreds, thousands, millions, of empty red envelopes, symbolizing the moral outrage of abortion. I wish we could send 50 million red envelopes, one for every child who died before having a chance to live, he says. Maybe it will change the heart of the president. Otto says it s a small act that could make a big statement. People are not going to get into an argument, he says. They re not going to stand in front of an abortion clinic. But they are going to buy an envelope and cast this vote for life. The plan is simple: On March 31, mail an empty red envelope to: President Barack Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. Washington, D.C On the outside of the envelope, [on the back] write: This envelope represents one child who died in abortion. It is empty because that life was unable to offer anything to the world. Responsibility begins with conception. FOR MORE INFORMATION Visit the Red Envelope Web site. Also, check out the dozens of Facebook groups devoted to the cause. Just type Red envelope into the search box. (NOTE: Referral to Web sites not produced by Focus on the Family is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sites' content.) The Rocket.35 6

7 A Little boy wanted $ very badly and prayed for weeks, but nothing happened. Then he decided to write God a letter requesting the $100. When the postal authorities received the letter to God, USA, they decided to send it to the President. The President was so amused that he instructed his secretary to send the little boy a $5.00 bill. He thought this would appear to be a lot of money to a little boy. The little boy was delighted with the $5.00 bill and sat down to write a thank you note to God, which read: Dear God: Thank you very much for sending the money. However, I noticed that for some reason you sent it through Washington DC, and as usual, they took out $95 in taxes. Remember, this Sunday, March 8 th, Dalton Meyer will be playing cello at the 10 a.m. service. The Rocket.35 7

8 OUTREACH TEAM - Thank you to four people who have volunteered to be part of the Outreach Team. There is room for more. This team is vital to the future of TSRC. If you have a heart for reaching out to others, and if you share the vision that we as a church have for reaching out to others, volunteer for the Outreach Team. Your ideas are not only welcome, they are needed. Call the church office and let Fr. Andy know you are ready to roll up your sleeves for God and TSRC. STITCHES FROM THE HEART For the knitters and crocheters in our parish, there is an organization called Stitches From The Heart that accepts handmade baby clothing. These articles are given to women who leave the hospital after giving birth, women who are in need of clothing for their newborns. This is a 501 (3) charity organization that now has over 12,000 volunteers. They have donated over 599,000 items to 1,120 hospitals across the US. They graciously accept booties, hats, blankets and sweaters of any design, sizes newborn to toddler. The only requirement is that the yarn be soft and washable. No 100% wool items accepted. (These items can be made while watching TV.) For more information, please visit Completed items can be sent to: Stitches from the Heart 3316 Pico Blvd. Santa Monica, CA If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we are not really living. Growth demands a temporary surrender of security." Gail Sheehy Are we surrendering daily to God during this Lenten season? Til Next Week, The Rocket.35 8