Bill’s Bestowals:
“The Song in My Heart!”
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly;
teach and admonish one another in all wisdom;
and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.”
(Colossians 3:16)
Those who know me well know that – if you want to find the key to my heart … it’s music. (Ssshhh. I’d hate for the secret to get out and have people use it against me.)
In this, I guess I follow in the footsteps of Martin Luther, who said, “Next to the Word of God, music deserves the highest praise. She is a mistress and governess of those human emotions … which control men or more often overtake them. For whether you wish to comfort the sad, to subdue frivolity, to encourage the despairing, to humble the proud, to calm the passionate or to appease those full of hate … what more effective means than music could you find?” I imagine Luther was envisioning scenes such as the soon-to-be King David using music to calm King Saul (I Sam. 16:23) and the Apostles Paul and Silas singing to comfort prisoners (Acts 16:25). God Himself even used music to get the attention of an impetuous people (Exodus 19:16-19) and the Psalmist says that if you want to praise God, sing Him a new song (Psalm 149 et al.) and/or learn to play an instrument for Him (Psalm 150 et al.). After all, when you are in love, don’t you feel like making music for the object of your affection?
Next month – believe it or not – I will have been your pastor for seven years … 
but it doesn’t look like YOU have aged a day! I want you to know that you are an object of my affection, and it brings me such incredible joy to be united in ministry with you.
Is that sappy? Probably, but I say it to show that you make me feel like singing! And what song(s) would I choose? Many, but among my favorites are these:
· Weave Us Together – “… weave us together in unity and love … Now the Christ in you greets the Christ in me, in one great family!”
· Jesus, My Lord – “Have you ever stood in a family, with the Lord there in your midst, seen the face of Christ on each other? Then I say, you’ve seen Jesus, my Lord!”
· God, Make Us Your Family – “Your kingdom come, Your will be done. Now You call us to be as one. Let the prayer of our hearts daily be: ‘God, make us Your family!’”
· Bind Us Together – “Bind us together, Lord; bind us together with love … We are the family of God …”
You’ll notice common themes: 1) family and 2) love – and 3) God’s presence among us as we live as a loving family!
So now you know my heart. On into the future, let’s continue to join our individual voices and instruments together in a masterpiece symphony that we can constantly raise to the greatest object of our affection: God!
Love, Pastor Bill
May 2022 Calendar:
Sunday: Worship at 11 a.m.
Thursday: Grief Share at 10 a.m. in the parlor.
May 1: Cinco de Mayo Youth Fundraiser after Church
May 3: Mission Committee Meeting 5 p.m.
May 4: Worship Committee Meeting 5:30 p.m.
May 5: Fellowship Committee Meeting 8:00 a.m.
May 5: Christian Ed. Committee Meeting 12:30 p.m.
May 7: PW Meeting 10 a.m.
May 8: Mother’s Day Lunch following Worship
May 10: Membership & Evangelism Committee Meeting 6 p.m.
May 15: Holy Humor Sunday
May 16: Stewardship & Finance Committee Meeting 1 p.m.
May 18: Session Meeting 5:30 p.m.
May 21: Church Clean-up Day
May 24: Building & Grounds Committee Meeting
May 28: Violin Recital 4:00 p.m.
May 29: Helping Hands Sunday; Worship at 9:30 a.m.
BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES:
7 – Tatelyn Pullen
11 – Effie Dantiacq
18 – JoAnne Coogan
SERVING THIS MONTH:
Ushers:
Communion Preparers: Delta Reed & Marilyn Schroyer
Communion Servers: Wes Stiefer, Chuck Schroyer
Leon Myers, William Edwards, &
Gini Burt
SPECIAL COLLECTION SUNDAYS:
May 1: Personal Care Collection
May 22: Goodland Academy
