120 Wilton Rd., Peterborough, NH (603) PASTOR NOTE

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1 NEWSLETTER July 26, 2017 Pastor s Note Weekly Service Announcements Reminders Meet the Member Church Calendar Prayer Needs 120 Wilton Rd., Peterborough, NH (603) PASTOR NOTE Greetings in the LORD Brothers and Sisters, First, I need to apologize for my lack of clarity over what I am attempting over these next weeks. I am planning to simply write about the Beatitudes, not preach on them. After looking at the initial post about the Beatitudes I can see where one would be confused as to why I would abandon 1 Peter and preach on the Beatitudes. But, I am not doing that! I am simply writing in the newsletter some thoughts to consider on this important part of Jesus Sermon on the Mount. Rest assured, I plan to finish 1 Peter as it has been an encouragement to me and it has been well received by many. Now, onto the discussion on the second Beatitude: mourning. Lamentation is not something the modern world embraces, even in small doses. Yet the Christian is reminded by Jesus that lamentation (or mourning) is a key concept for a growing faith. Scholars have various ideas as to what Jesus means here but I think that they all can be useful in understanding what Jesus meant by mourning. First, mourning can be over one s own sin. Clearly, we all have times of great reprieve from sin and times of habitual sin. The issue is not the degree or amount of sin, but how you see your sin. God wants us to recognize sin in order to see what changes need to be made in our lives. He wants us to recognize sin because it creates a wall between us and God. It prevents us from being able to truly enjoy His presence. Rejection of temptation is a key factor in the spiritual condition of each and every Christian. If one does not know what their sin is they will have a difficult time overcoming it. Furthermore, recognizing one s sin for what it is means that one understands the price that was paid at the cross for the sins of God s people. This price was not just the death of a man; it was the death of the only innocent and perfect man. It was the death of God s own Son. A sacrifice that we can understand but not fully grasp the depth of it. Continued: pg. 2

2 Mourning, then, is one s sorrow for one s sin before a perfect and holy God; a God who demands our allegiance for our own His love is what drove Jesus to the cross, His love is what shows us our faults, and His love is what saves us from the worst possible fate. Blessed are those who mourn (have sorrow and repent) for their sin, for God will comfort them with grace, mercy, and love. Yet, mourning can also be lamenting one s situation in life. As we have seen in 1 Peter, this world is not a place that receives true Christians very often. It can be a difficult place for many Christians and even downright painful. One can be in mourning over their trying situations, bringing their request for aid to the Lord. The Psalms are full of such understandings and request. The Psalms are also filled with great passages of comfort for the very people who find themselves in need of help. If you trust the Lord in your circumstances, you will find yourself being better equipped to handle what this world brings to you. So, two takes on mourning which hopefully will provoke thinking. Certainly these two ideas can even be brought together when one recognizes they may be in a difficult situation due to their sin. If so, rejoice, for God may be disciplining you because He loves you (Prov 3:12, Heb 12:4-12). So be mournful of your sin that it would lead to comfort in the Lord. Comfort then may lead to spiritual growth and a rejection of the temptations that come your way. Glorify the Lord in all you do and enjoy His presence because He deeply loves you. Soli Deo Gloria, Pastor Paul For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being you prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. (1Peter 3:18-

3 NEWSLETTER July Pastor s Note Weekly Service Announcements Reminders Meet the Member Church Calendar Prayer Needs 120 Wilton Rd., Peterborough, NH (603) ANNOUNCEMENTS Meet the member! will be returning to our newsletter. It will help our congregation get more acquainted with each other, and put a name to the face you ve seen on Sundays. If you are a member and have not yet participated in this section, please contact Kim in the office. A brief bio and a picture is all that is required. Thank you! Women s Bible Study: Will not be meeting for the rest of the summer. They will resume on Sept 11, 2017 continuing in the book Feasts of the Lord, chapter 8. On August 14 they would like any women to join them for a morning of prayer from 10am-noon. Any questions please call Jami Bascom at Join us! The Adult Sunday School meets at 8am each Sunday. We are currently studying 20th Century Christianity. If you enjoy thoughtful discussion and are eager to learn more about your faith, this class is for you. We will end on July 30th and pick back up again on September 10th. Monthly Men s Breakfast & Bible Study: A multi-church men s group that meets once a month. Saturday, August 12th from 7:30-9am in the fellowship hall (enter via the lower back doors/ramp). Full breakfast followed by a time of prayer/testimony and Bible study/discussion. This month s speaker will be Terry Miller. Breakfast: Pancakes, eggs, sausage, home fries, coffee & juice (free will offering to cover costs). Any questions please contact Vinnie Verduine at or cell/text (or via inwonder@myfairpoint.net). There is a sign-up sheet in the back of the sanctuary to give them a count for breakfast. It is VERY important for them to have an accurate count. Continued: pg. 2

4 Do you see the flyer picture below? It is an opportunity to show our support in the community. Please read over and consider participating. There will be a flyer posted here at the church. Join us on August 6! Marc Gregory will be speaking during the usual Mission prayer time. It will be great to hear about his ministering journey.

5 ANNOUNCEMENTS Mid-Week Gathering: Are you interested in good fellowship, prayer, and learning about the Gospel of Luke? If so, please join us at the mid-week gathering each Wednesday at. We are a group who desires to learn more about Jesus Christ that we may live out our faith for the glory of God and for our benefit as well. There is no work that has to be done before the meeting, so just show up! We spend a bit of time each week praying for one another, MCC, and various other requests. Please consider this perfect opportunity to grow with other believers at MCC Garden Tithe: Participating gardeners may bring 10% (or more) of each week's harvest to MCC as an offering to be shared with the Peterborough Food Pantry from July through September. Please bring your 'first fruits' (the very best) for the altar offering. Quantity is NOT an issue, the goal is quality. This year parts of the garden have new, floating row covers. The Garden Tithe team hopes this will foil common pests for both the kale and zucchini, so our harvest will be healthier and last longer. A few folks have offered to help with watering as needed. Thanks so much! Colette would like to train volunteers after church on Sunday so participants will know how to manage the row covers. Garden Tithe Seed Exchange: This exchange is open to everyone, not just members of the Garden Tithe. A box will be on the back table in the sanctuary for anyone who would like to trade seeds again this year. If you have extra seeds, please be sure that none of the expiration dates are before PRAYER NEEDS Pray for healing for the many in our church and extended families that are struggling in various ways physically. Pray for the Whitaker family as they are mourning the loss of Dana s mother. Pray for peace, strength and courage in transitions for many in our church. Pray that each person at MCC will willing and joyfully find a place to serve and become involved in some aspect of church life beyond worship. Pray for unity in our church and respectful dialogue as needed when issues arise. May we seek the best for those around us above our own desires. Pray for wisdom, clarity and compassion for Pastor Paul, the Elders and all in leadership here at MCC, in our local & national government and leadership positions around the world. Pray that we as a church body will connect relationally, in a meaningful way, with one another.

6 SUNDAY SERVICE REMINDERS Hospitality/Coffee hosts: Lawlor family Greeters: Annemarie & Jim Forest Nursery Service - Worship: Diane Gregory & Monika Craven Laura Lawlor will read the Scripture Dana Whitaker will lead the worship music. Junior Church: Kim & Rayven Robbins Cindy Marriner & Paul Lucas will be available at the end of the service if you would like prayer. JULY 2017 SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT Mid-week Mid-week Mid-week Community Closet Mid-week Community Closet