Sunday Preview

I'm going to try to do something new--as time permits--I want to start doing a Sunday preview to help us get prepared for worship. I'll do a bit of writing about the service and things to watch for...

This week we are starting a new series called "American Jesus". The full description of the series is on the getting dusty notes. If you look closely you'll see that the font used for "getting dusty" resembles the font from American Idol. Instead of American Idol our focus is on pictures of Jesus that Americans have used over the past 200 plus years. When you walk in the auditorium you will see five different pictures of Jesus that come from actual drawings/paintings of how people have tried to represent Jesus. One of the questions to ask yourself as you look at each picture is "do I agree with the picture?"

The pre service video during this series is from the History Channel, it's called "Christmas Unwrapped". The video will be running about 10 minutes prior to the service starts and tells a very different story of Christmas traditions than we might have imagined.

After we go into live music you will see more pictures of Jesus on the screen, the last one is perhaps the most well known --we'll talk just a bit about it as we move into the service.

As you join in singing praises to God this week notice the theme that focuses in on the attributes of God. The text for Sunday is from Psalm 102.25-27. The music seeks to connect with both the mood and message of those verses.
Psa. 102:25 In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
  Like clothing you will change them
and they will be discarded.
27 But you remain the same,
and your years will never end.

At the end of the time of worship in Song we will be spending time in prayer for local concerns and in praise to God.

At the first service we are celebrating God's gift of leadership to the church. We will be installing elders and deacons. In the other two services we will introduce you to your new elders and deacons.

During the offering (which is a part of worship as we give back to God) we will be watching a short video on the work we are connected with in Colima, Mexico. Our corners offering this month is for Terry Carter and Crew as they head for Colima in Feb., the money will be used for supplies for the construction work and other needs of the orphanage.

After the offering its time again for prayer. This prayer will focus on the needs of our world. We have a strong desire to see not only our corner of the world, but God's rule over all and his power to change a world. Part of that is asking.

A Video "man on the street" interview comes next. Pay special attention to how people answer the last question that is asked.

The message for the day is "American Jesus: From Here to Eternity". You'll want to get out the message notes on Dusty as we take a closer look at Jesus in a way that makes some people's eyes glaze over at Christmas. Kids, watch for Pixar's Ratatouillie to show up in the sermon (on screen).

After we've learned about Jesus Christ, we will celebrate his supper this Sunday. Take a moment before the service to prepare for the supper.

See you for worship!