Fairfield Good News KNOWING HIM AND MAKING HIM KNOWN February 2018

Transcription

1 Fairfield Good News KNOWING HIM AND MAKING HIM KNOWN February 2018 Upcoming Events Sunday, Feb. 4 Souper Bowl of Caring Monday, Feb. 5 Consistory Friday, Feb. 9 Deadline to sign up for Lay Recognition Dinner Wednesday, Feb. 14 Ash Wednesday Dinner & Beginning of Lent Valentine s Day Sunday, Feb. 18 Baby Bottle Return Monday, Feb. 19 Presidents Day Fairfield Reformed Church 360 Fairfield Rd. Fairfield, NJ reformedchurch@gmail.com oldchurchnewsong/ From the desk of Pastor Scott: Colossians 3:13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. On January 24, Dr. Larry Nassar was sentenced to 175 years in prison after being convicted of 10 counts of child molestation. For 20 years, Nassar preyed on young girls through his work at Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics. Following his conviction, over 160 individuals (including members of recent Olympic teams) spoke out in court through Victim Impact Statements. They all shared how their lives were forever changed by the evil deeds of Dr. Nassar. Rachael Denhollander was the first to bring a charge against Nassar so it was fitting that she be the last to share her story. After detailing the impact his actions had upon her life, Denhollander closed with the following words: I want you to understand why I made this choice, knowing full well what it was going to cost to get here, and with very little hope of ever succeeding. I did it because it was right. No matter the cost. It was right. And the farthest I can run from what you have become is to daily choose what is right, instead of what I want. You have become a man ruled by selfish and perverted desires. A man defined by his daily choices over and over again to feed that selfishness and perversion. You chose to pursue your wickedness no matter what it cost others. And the opposite of what you have done is for me to choose to love sacrificially. No matter what it costs me. In our early hearings you brought your Bible into the courtroom and you have spoken of praying for forgiveness, and so it is on that basis that I appeal to you: If you have read the Bible you carry, you know that the definition of sacrificial love portrayed is of God himself loving so sacrificially that He gave up everything to pay a penalty for the sin he did not commit. By His grace I too choose to love this way.

2 Cont d from pg. 1: You spoke of praying for forgiveness, but Larry if you have read the Bible you carry, you know forgiveness does not come from doing good things, as if good deeds can erase what you have done. It comes from repentance. Which requires facing and acknowledging the truth about what you have done in all of its utter depravity and horror, without mitigation, without excuse, without acting as if good deeds can erase what you have seen in this courtroom today. The Bible you carry says it is better for a millstone to be thrown around your neck, and you thrown into a lake, then for you to make even one child stumble. And you have damaged hundreds. The Bible you speak of carries a final judgment where all of God s wrath and his eternal terror is poured out on men like you. Should you ever reach the point of truly facing what you have done, the guilt will be crushing. And that is what makes the gospel of Christ so sweet, because it extends grace, and hope, and mercy where none should be found. And it will be there for you. I pray you experience the soul-crushing weight of guilt so that you may someday experience true repentance and true forgiveness from God, which you need far more than forgiveness from me though I extend that to you as well. What a powerful testimony to the power of God to redeem even the worst of circumstances. What a clear description of the need for repentance and grace. What demonstration of how to forgive like Christ has forgiven. May we pray for Rachael and the others affected by this evil, but may we also pray that we might forgive as she has done! February 3 Russ Safar 4 Margaret Wert 8 Wray Lewis Monday, Feb. 5 6:30 Consistory Super Bowl Sunday is February 4 th. On that day we will receive a special Souper Bowl of Caring offering to be given to the Good Shepherd Mission in Paterson. It will be collected in the narthex after worship. Thank you in advance for your generosity. "Lord, even as we enjoy the Super Bowl football game, help us be mindful of those who are without a bowl of soup to eat." Brad Smith

3 February 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Souper Bowl of Caring Consistory Deadline to sign up for Lay Recog. Dinner Ash Wednesday Dinner & 18 Return Baby Bottles

4 Friday, Feb. 9 th is the deadline to sign up for the Lay Recognition Dinner held on March 9 th See Deb with questions. Ash Wednesday, Feb. 14 6:00 PM Pot Providence Dinner 7:00 PM FOR GOD What to Give Up SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERIS BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE John 3:16 Give up complaining Give up pessimism Give up worry Give up bitterness Give up hatred Give up negativism Give up anger Give up pettiness Give up gloom Give up jealousy Give up gossiping Give up sin Give up giving up focus on Gratitude become an Optomist trust Divine Providence turn to Forgiveness return Good for Evil be Positive be More Patient become Mature enjoy Beauty around you pray for Trust control your Tongue turn to Virtue Hang in there!

5 The baby bottles you took home on The Eveready Ladies will resume their meetings next month watch for details in the March Newsletter Sanctity of Life Sunday, Jan. 21 st in which to put your pocket change should be returned to church on Sunday, February 18th. The change you put in the bottles will be counted and given to First Choice Women s Resource Centers (as well as the bottles.) Important: please pray for the First Choice outreach, the staff AND the unborn children they seek to rescue. Little Sisters Baptism After the baby was baptized, her four-year-old brother was crying inconsolably in the back sea of the car. What is the matter, Johnny? asked his concerned mother. Johnny replied: That man said that he hoped our baby would be raised in a good Christian home...i just want her to stay with you guys. Just another reminder: You can listen to Pastor Scott s sermons online if you miss worship service or just want to hear them again. Just go to and click on recent sermons and archived ones. There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind. CS Lewis

6 Below are the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount in the book of Matthew. Can you fill in the blanks? Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs. Blessed are those who mourn: for they. Blessed are the meek: for they. Blessed are those who and for righteousness: for they will be. Blessed are the merciful: for they will be. Blessed are the pure in : for they will see. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they will be called of. Blessed are those who are persecuted for kingdom of. sake: for theirs is the Blessed are when others revile and persecute and utter all kinds of evil against falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the who were before. The 2017 Classis Assessment per church member is $ If you would like to cover the church s cost of your membership, please make your check payable to the church, mark it Classis Assessment and put in offering plate. Thank you. The Pig The redneck was parked behind a trailer load of pigs near the zoo. As the truck drove away one of the pigs fell out. He walked over and picked it up and put it in his front seat. He was sitting there looking puzzled when an officer walked up and asked what was going on. He told the story and the officer recommended he take the pig to the zoo. The redneck was sitting in the same spot the next day with the pig sitting in the front seat. The officer said, Didn t I ask you to take the pig to the zoo? The redneck replied, I did and he liked it, so today I m taking him to the movies.