The United Church Council extended to me an invitation to preach the Sunday Morning Service for November 27th. Preacher Bill R. was away visiting family up in the North Woods for the Thanksgiving holiday.
My sermon was on personal transformation during a "wilderness experience." It was entitled, " Are you willing to go through a wilderness experience?"
Too often when go through loss we immediately begin looking for the exits instead of figuring out why we are going through the experience in the first place and then working on transforming ourselves through the renewal of our minds as layed out in Romans 12.
Contextually, I meant transforming the false self or as Paul called it the "old man" or the "flesh."
We all eventually experience the "wilderness" when we suffer some kind of loss such as losing a job, the death of a child, spouse, parent or other person close to us. A terminal illness suffices as a "wilderness" experience as does estrangement from a family member or friend.
My sermon appeared to resonate with the parishioners of United Church as we fellowshipped afterwards. I fielded many questions about personal transformation as well as heard some of their own wilderness stories.
Two couples from the church ended up attending my evening service at Calvary Idaho Springs.
Karen and Rick along with Bob and Kathy and Trey were among the newest attendees. John Mark has become a regular as has Matt.
Worship Leader/Youth Pastor, Ben S. presented a very good sermon last night at Calvary Idaho Springs on the subject of Gideon's 300.
Our church plant in Idaho Springs is coming along steadily if slowly. Living here in the church helps as Amy and I keep the lights on most of the night attracting some townspeople and causing them to knock on the doors wondering what is going on inside.
Construction on Colorado Blvd is proceeding with the road now open. However, the side street,14th is still undone and closed. Parking is virtually non-existent still. This is without dispute impacting our attendance. We're hoping this will lessen as winter progresses.
Amy and I are beginning to decorate the church for Christmas. We are opening the doors to the community for our Christmas Day Celebration. 2 services will take place with the first at 2pm with yours truly sermonizing then a service at 6pm presenting Senior Pastor Craig Babcock officiating.
We will start at noon and go the entire day until sometime in the evening. We are gearing this mainly for the homeless and poor(both in body and spirit)so they have a warm, loving place to be on perhaps the loneliest day of the year for some. Food will be served all day.
So, for our Clear Creek and Colorado peeps--come on out and celebrate with us the Lord's birthday.
Amy is starting work again at Beau Jo's tomorrow. She's looking forward to getting reconnected with her old pals there. I too am putting in my application for work around town for additional income.
Amy and I continue to use the Rec Center to walk, lift weights, use the sauna and shower facilities. The church has no operable shower/bath facilities so we need the Rec Center membership for that alone. However, just recently a new friend offered his home for our use including the washing machine, dryer, hot tub and showers.
As of today we have bus service to and from Georgetown with stops in Dumont and at the Hidden Valley exit. There will be multiple stops in Idaho Springs including the old lumber mill and Safeway. Cost is $2 per person to Georgetown and $2 back with $1 per person within Idaho Springs. We have needed this service for quite some time. Now, we need service to Evergreen especially to Walmart and the other retail and banking facilities there.
God always seems to provide the necessities just when we need them.
Amy and I enjoyed Thanksgiving at Rich and Marge Nelsons down in Englewood for three days. Everyone wanted to get to know Amy better. And, Amy also enjoyed our stay very much.
Joshua and Emily Nelson along with their 2 daughters, Sierra and Brooke attended as did Emily's step mother and father aling with Rich's sister and brother in law.
We discussed reopening Mercy Church with Josh pastoring again. Josh is praying earnestly about this.
We smoked our tobacco pipes and cigars during our Thanksgiving Day celebration with Emily's brother,Jay, smoking his first cigar. I always love smoking with friends, it's a very social experience to be sure.
The third pic is of Josh Nelson and his youngest daughter, Brooke. The last pic shows worship leader, Ben S, pickin his guitar at worship service at Calvary Idaho Springs. The other pics show Amy lounging in warm weather out in front of the church while I'm pictured inside Church during office hours. Then there is the pic showing the front right side of our Spanish Mission style edifice. We get beautiful light inside the church when the Sun sets. It's reminiscent of God's illuminating, warm light shining through a dark world.
May God bless all of you and keep you in the hollow of his hand while we head into the Christmas season. Let his Grace and Love abound more and more!
BR Schoenbein
Amy Schoenbein
December 5, 2016- Monday
BR: That looks like an old Catholic Church. Is that correct?
ReplyDeleteMichael: this church was built in 1926 to replace the original Episcopalian church which burnt to the ground. Sometime later it became St John's Anglican Catholic Church. This particular Anglican denomination was and is closer to the Roman Catholic tradition than the Anglican. In fact the last priest here was educated at a Catholic Seminary and he placed the statues of Mary and Jesus along with Francis of Assisi and other Catholic Saints. But,Fr Fischer was not a Roman Catholic and neither was the church. You would be very comfortable worshipping here. I've had former Catholics visit here who felt right at home here.
DeleteGood question Michael!
BR
Having to shower at the gym is a great motivator for exercise! Haha
ReplyDelete