I am recently returned from our church retreat at Camp Wightman, the American Baptist camp and conference center in Connecticut.  It was a blessed weekend, full of wonderful weather, wonderful people, and wonderful Godly connections; in other words, it was a retreat full of WONDER, holy WONDER!  Thank you, God, for a wonderful retreat!

Camp Wightman, here we come!  Our church retreat begins this evening.  It looks like it will be a gorgeous weekend, weather-wise, and I expect the same for the spiritual environment.  May we be aware of God's presence as we bask in the glory of God's creation!

A friend of mine posted a Spoken Word video on her Facebook page today.  It spoke to me.  It spoke to me because it reveals the depth of our need for love and our vulnerability to accepting what looks like love but isn't love because we are so desperate to feel loved.  It also spoke to me because we at our church are considering ways that we could host arts events at our church and the art of Spoken Word was mentioned as one of the arts we could host.  This video is the perfect example of the power of the medium and the way in which our faith can be shared through it.  The video is posted here.  Enjoy.

For a few hours on Saturday, September 27, at Camp Wightman, we will be able to use the water!  Kayaks and canoes are available.  I am so excited to be on the beautiful lake at Camp Wightman! #camptwightman

Diaconate reminders

Please don't forget to sign up to volunteer for ushering,  scripture readers and coffee hour hosts.

Next week is our church retreat at Camp Wightman.  Here is a slideshow to remind us of the spirit-filled weekend we had last year!

Today's service and sermon focused on the church as the body of Christ.  The following is an excerpt from the sermon:

"Through the grace of God and by the Spirit of God we diverse individuals become members of the one body of Christ.  And that body needs each one of us.  And each one of us who are members of the body needs each other member of the body.  No one is not needed.  When we think that what we bring to the body is not necessary, we’re being ridiculous.  As Paul says, "If the foot would say, 'Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.  And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,' that would not make it any less a part of the body.  If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be?” (12:15-17)

You can just hear Paul saying, “Duh.”  Likewise, when we think that what someone else brings to the body is not necessary, we’re being ridiculous.  Paul says, "The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I have no need of you,' nor again the head to the feet, 'I have no need of you'.”  (12:21)

Each member of the body has an indispensable function to perform, be it foot or hand, ear or eye, those parts that are clothed and those parts that are not clothed.  No member of the body is greater or lesser, more essential or less essential than any other member of the body.  When we think otherwise, we think wrongly. 

READ FULL SERMON HERE