Quote from Forum Archives on August 13, 2003, 7:20 pm

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

The church that I grew up in was started in 1956, the year I was
born. It grew out of a church that was formed in Detroit many
years earlier, but was gradually declining in size because
people were moving to the suburbs - just as my family did. My
home church never really grew to be large in size, and today I
question some of the values of it's parent denomination, the
United Church of Christ. Nevertheless, that church planted some
important seeds in my life, which of course, really came from my
parents, and those seeds, in turn, came from their parents, and
those seeds grew out of one of the great revivals spreading
through Europe and the U.S.

I pray that even as some seeds die or wither, God's Word will
continue to spread. I'd gladly give up any job, tradition, or
idea to go and do what God wants me to do. Larry Davies shares
about some traditions that he discovered in the church where he
is a pastor in Lynchberg, VA.

Something that interests me about change is us. Did you ever
stop to think that we, both as individuals, and collectively as a
group, are continually changing, growing older, learning new
things, making mistakes, learning from our mistakes, holding to
some traditions and creating new ones. It goes on and on. One
thing, though, never changes, and that is our Creator, the Lord
God Almighty. He is the same, yesterday, today, and always. We
sometimes stick to our traditions because we want something we
can be familiar with, something we can trust. How many of us put
our complete trust in our Lord Jesus Christ? To me, He's much
more solid, much more worthy than any thought or tradition.

So whether our church remains the same or it changes, the thing
we all should be looking at, and fixing our attention on, is our
relationship with Christ. For it is in Him that we live and move
and have our being, according to Acts 17:28. Therefore, let's
enjoy our traditions, but keep them in their rightful place, and
put our real focus where it belongs, on Christ.

Your Brother in Christ,
Brian

____________________________________________________________

Yours in Christ,
Brian

Sowing Seeds of Faith...

Make Sowing Seeds of Faith a part of your daily devotional
reading. Click here and save it to your list of favorites:
www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/Devotions.htm

"1953, The World and A Church" Larry Davies

What was it like to live in 1953? We were scared; Communism
seemed to be taking over the world.

. Armistice signed ending the Korean War but permanently divides
the country.
. The Soviet Union announces detonation of a hydrogen bomb.
. School children regularly practice, "Duck and Cover" in case
of nuclear attack.
. Bomb shelters are built across America even in people's back
yards.
. Senator Joe McCarthy receives world wide attention for
exposing American communists.
. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are executed as traitors for
selling secrets to the atomic bomb.
. Leonard Bernstein, Lena Horn, Orson Wells, Arthur Miller are
among those black-listed.

Since 1953, a lot has changed. Communism has been soundly
defeated only to be replaced by the world wide threat of
terrorism. Bomb shelters may be passe' but gas masks are in. Our
troops are still entrenched in Korea as well as Afghanistan,
Bosnia and Iraq. In 2003, we continue to be afraid.

On a quiet Sunday evening in July, 1953, the Methodist
Superintendent presided over a gathering of residents to
organize Timberlake Methodist Church. One week later, thirty-one
people gathered at the old Timberlake Tavern to hold worship
services. Yes, our church met in a barroom. The bar itself was
covered with a white sheet and consecrated as an altar. Pinned
on the sheet was a bamboo cross.

In 1953 our Country struggled toward a more optimistic future.

. "I Like Ike" Eisenhower becomes president promising unity and
prosperity.
. Ike is inaugurated on "live TV" but twice as many watch "Lucy"
give birth the night before.
. In 1953 our country produces two-thirds of the worlds
manufactured goods.
. The GI Bill of Rights creates an upwardly mobile generation of
educated veterans.
. Automobiles flourish and an interstate road system begins
construction.
. Segregation is still a grim reality denying many African
Americans a chance at prosperity.
. The "Baby Boom" is in full force as our economy thrives on
consumer goods.

Since 1953, a lot has changed. Technology has added digital
televisions, VCR's, cell phones, computers, the internet and
microwave ovens. Yet with all the improvements, many of us work
longer hours, face more stress have more disposable income yet
have less free time and energy to enjoy it.

The task to transform barroom to church continued. Gropingly at
first - strangers and acquaintances shared ideas and plans were
formed. A church treasurer was elected but he had no funds. But
we do have lots of children so a Sunday school is formed. A
brass cross, benches and a piano are donated.
What was "Hot" in 1953?

. Everything from appliances to cars are "Hot" pink for Mamie
Eisenhower's favorite color.
. Rock and Roll may be here to stay but Elvis just graduated
high school.
. The New York Yankees win their fifth consecutive World Series.
. A great year for Comic Books, Tupperware Parties, Lionel
Trains and life in the suburbs.
. Holiday Inn, Chevrolet Corvette, TV Guide, Playboy Magazine
and Name That Tune begin.
. Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, James Dean, Marlon Brando and
Ernest Hemingway are "Hot."
. The hottest book published is the Revised Standard Version of
the Holy Bible.

Since 1953, a lot has changed. The innocence of the "fifties"
was replaced by the cynicism of the 21st Century. Family
structures which usually meant mom, dad plus two to three kids
now include single parents, live in partners and homosexual
unions. In 2003 we search for something to believe in.

Another minister arrives in September and moves into an upstairs
apartment within the tavern. On Sunday, October 4, fifty-eight
people stand and become charter members. Within a few months
there are Boy and Girl Scouts plus youth and other groups as a
new church is born and begins to grow.

Since 1953, a lot has changed, yet much remains the same. But in
the midst of those fifty years of change and turmoil our church
was born and grew strong. How did it happen? What can we learn?

Next week: Why is the church still so important after all these
years of change?

Would you like to contribute to next week's devotion? Reply to
this email and write two or three sentences on why your church
has been an important part of your life. How has your walk with
God improved? I really would like to hear from you. Take a
minute and send me a note. God bless. Larry

Read Sowing Seeds of Faith... everyday! Click here:
www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/Devotions.htm

Are you receiving prayer concerns from around the world? Join
our prayer team today. Check it out by clicking here:
www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/sign-up.htm

How can I regularly support your ministry? Become a Sowing Seeds
Ministry partner. Click here:
www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/ministry_partner.htm

Jesus said: "You are the light of the world--like a city on a
mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your
light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it
shine for all." (Matthew 5:14-15)

"Breaking the Peanut Butter Habit: Following God's Recipe for a
Better Life" now on sale only through our website.
www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/peanbutt.htm

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--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

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