Looking forward to seeing you in worship. Pastor Liz

Transcription

1 Warsaw International Church Sunday News 11 May 2008 Pentecost Sunday WORSHIP at 11:00 every Sunday Adult Bible Class at l0:00am every Sunday (Worship at ul.miodowa 21, near Old Town) Psalm 133- How wonderful it is, how pleasant, for God s people to live together in harmony! It is like the precious anointing oil running down from Aaron s head and beard, down to the collar of his robes. It is like the dew on Mount Hermon, falling on the hills of Zion. That is where the Lord has promised his blessing life that never ends. After being unsure that I would make my connection in Memphis and after barely making it even though my luggage did not, it was a joy to come to worship at WIC this past Sunday morning. Pastor Gene was touched by the attendance on his last Sunday and by the lovely amber cross which was presented to him in appreciation of his service. In addition, there were the two baptisms: the adult baptism of Soon-Hee Devane and the infant baptism of Alek Henisey-Chelstoswka; the special music provided by the Cantores Menores directed by Joseph Herter; the debut of an anthem on Psalm 23 The Good Shepherd by Michael Oczko and we came together around the table in the breaking of the bread. It just doesn t get much better than that! Thank you too for your warm welcome at church and at the gathering at the Constantinos later in the afternoon. I count it a joy that I will be sharing this spiritual journey with you these next three months. Pastor Gene s letters that have been sent to me have been so full of excitement and energy about the good things that are happening at WIC. It is my commitment and I know you share that commitment as well, to see that that energy and excitement continue as we work together and await the arrival of Pastor Gow. This is a special congregation with very special, talented people coming together in the spirit and then moving out again into the world. This coming Sunday is Pentecost. We come together to celebrate the birthday of the church and to talk more about that spirit moving and working among us. Looking forward to seeing you in worship. Pastor Liz

2 Pastor Gene s receives a special Gift from WIC As of June l, Pastor Gene and Nancy will be residing at this address: High Knoll, Hamitaire Estates, Lake Arrowhead, CA Their personal remains the same: gennanlon@yahoo.com Lake Arrowhead is a beautiful resort community just about three hours out of LAX and 75 minutes out of Ontario Intl Airport. The lake is beautiful and their home, which is owned by Christian friends living in Dubai, has a boat for cruising the beautiful lake. It s a four-season s resort and WIC friends are most welcomed to come and stay for a visit. Notices: Congregational Meeting 1 June To all members and friends of WIC: Right after our worship of June 1 we shall call a special meeting of the congregation of WIC to elect new Council Members. Non-members are welcomed and urged to attend this special meeting but we need at least 50% plus one of members present to conduct the vote. In case you are a member and cannot be present on June 1, there is a proxy form attached at the end of this NEWS so you can print it, it and return it to the WIC office address. Thank you. Pastor Liz Wyatt, Interim Pastor. After 10 years of dedicated service as Chair of the Outreach Committee of WIC, Young Osawaru has decided that it is time for him to step down from this position. WIC appreciates his devotion to ministry of mission and thanks him for his commitment. WIC is currently seeking a replacement for Chair of Outreach. If you feel a call to mission work and would be interested in this position, please contact the WIC office. (0-22) Sometimes we not only need to do outreach to others but we need to care for our own. WIC is seeking volunteers who would be willing to visit shut-ins, prepare baby baskets, and make hospital calls. If you feel you would be blessed by this ministry please let Pastor Liz know of your interest or notify the WIC Office.

3 Coming to Warsaw this summer? The Warsaw International Church is pleased to offer comfortable single and double rooms with cable TV, access to kitchen facilities and other creature comforts, close to downtown Warsaw, public transport, excellent shopping at the door etc., in a friendly and helpful environment. English and Polish spoken. We are currently accepting reservations for the months of May, June and July. Bargain prices in an oasis of quiet in the heart of the capitol. Please call , mobile or pastor@wic.org.pl or Micheal - oczkom@gazeta.pl. Am ex-pat artist group called Translations will have an exhibit May At the combined theatre and gallery of Komuna Otwock and Pracownia Wschodnia, 30/32 Lubelska street which is open Thursday to Sunday from 15:00-21:00 Free Entry Michael Murphy informs as that the big events in May will be as follows: - Sunday, May 11th, WVM Community Meeting at Dom Kultury in Stoklosy at Thursday, May 15th, Seeker's Haven Home Group Meeting at Tony & Yolanda's at Monday, May 19th, Seeker's Haven Club Meeting at Cafe Tarabuk at Saturday, May 31st, WVM Fund Raiser "Disco Fusion" at Intercontinental Hotel at Pastor Gene s Sermon for May 4, 2008 Today for congregations wedded to the liturgical calendar this is Ascension Sunday. It remembers the dramatic departure of Jesus from this earth after his forty days of Resurrection appearances to his friends. Liz Wyatt s reading from Acts touched briefly on that quite extraordinary departure of Jesus. By contrast the assigned Gospel which I just read has Jesus very much still back on earth, in the upper room, and ending his long discourse there with a prayer. It s his prayer asking God to protect his followers after he s gone from them; it s his prayer for us. It is last prayer assuring us of God s protection and praying for our unity. A person s last prayer tells us what that person thinks is really important. And Jesus final prayer for us, his people gathered as his church is that we might be one so that the world would see our Christian unity and be drawn to Christ. Regretably, Jesus church overall is not doing very well in showing the unity for which its founder prayer. We have three great branches of Jesus church; and within them there are many separate identities with the multiplication of denominations within Protestantism being the obvious land field of confusing and separate groups. Jesus church universal today has a thousand or more names: just consider some of the well established Christian churches listed under any religion encyclopedia under

4 the letter A: American Baptist Amish Anabaptist Anglican Antioochian Orthodox Armenian Evangelical Armenian Orthodox - Assemblies of God Associated Gospel Churches Association of Vineyard Churches etc. And those are just some of the A s! And it isn t just the multiplication of denominations that is confusing. It s the hostility of some Christians to other Christians which remains sad and a scandal. There s an old story of two strangers meeting and one asking Are you Protestant or Catholic? The other replied Protestant. Me, too! said the first one. What denomination? Baptist. Me too! They kept comparing religious backgrounds and finally came to this exchange: Are you Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of l879 or Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of l9l2? The other person replied, Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of l9l2. The first person got a scowl on his face and said, Die, heretic! A story like that reminds us that there are a lot of different kinds of nuts in the Lord s fruit case. Fortunately, some of those nuts are no longer generally present in Christendom but considering the anger and hostility dividing the Church of England just now it s still relevant and there are still too many crazies pursuing their personal agendas rather than Christ s ways and priorities. I have often reflected on what is so special about Warsaw International Church that keeps coming back to us our former members, like Karen and Piotr Chetowsky visiting with us from Texas, today or Rick Wiewica who first worshiped here 20 years ago? I think for me the most outstanding attribute is that we have been beneficiaries of Jesus prayer. WIC has moved beyond labels that exclude and identities that divide. We show some of that unity which Jesus last prayer asked for: Yes, we are Protestant in our founding and our theology but neither excludes Roman Catholics and Orthodox from feeling at home with us. Yes, we are mainly American-British in our original leaders because we are an English-language congregation but we have evolved into an international gathering of at least a dozen nations on every Sunday. Yes, like every congregation we want to have loyal members but about half of you who worship here choose not to become members and we respect your personal conscience and invite you to show your loyalty without a membership tag. And, yes, we happily pray for the few other congregations which aim, like our own, to be international and ecumenical in Warsaw and the many more around Europe and the globe. This last Wednesday I enjoyed a farewell lunch and prayer time with Pastor Larry Huddleston of the International Christian Fellowship and Pastor Moises Meneses of the brand new Celebration Church. Just now we are blessing our own members Glaucio and Davina Carlos to fellowship with that small start-up congregation which needs them more than we do.

5 When we see how very small and low profile these few ecumenical congregations are in Warsaw, it s difficult to imagine, but I do imagine, that a people gathered as we are, in truth, the future of Jesus church. Increasingly folks are looking for a fellowship of truth seekers who accept differences, do not judge others because of their ethnic backgrounds, race, religious tradition or lack of it, sexual orientation, social status, nationality, or any of the other barriers erected in too many gatherings to keep people out rather than welcome them within. And perhaps the finest evidence that we are inclusive is that we observe openness at the Lord s Table. Anyone who wants to be close to Jesus is welcomed to gather at his table and to remember him and to follow his guidance to take bread and the fruit of the vine and feed on him in their hearts with faith and through his grace. Last week we reflected on the question: why did Jesus have to die and leave his friends? As a human, he had to die sooner or later. He died sooner in order to give his life for our salvation. And he said goodbye in terms of his physical presence in human form in order to return to us as His Living Holy Spirit and to be present to us as we gather and commune in his name. As we do so today, look around and rejoice in our gathering small in numbers but representative of the united fellowship of believers which the world needs. And always we remember as his friends we are to strive to live out his love. The road to further Christian unity is the road of repentance. On that road we confess our faults, do not judge one another, and rely upon God to guide. And we ask the Holy Spirit to help us turn away from lesser values of the self, the denomination, and the nation, which would deny the inclusiveness of divine love.