Judy Lunsford served as Worship Leader. Our pianist, Pat Beaty, was back at the instrument Sunday and in fine form; Pat played and led the singing. Raymond Salinas operated the power point and the ushers were David Cleveland and Cliff Wooldridge.
I misspelled Pat’s sister’s name last week, she is Barb Volpe. The “V” is too close to the “B” on my keyboard!
Jean Volpe had birthday on 10-6 and Pat Beaty celebrated one on 10-9. Our wonderful friend, Barbara Bean, will have a birthday on 10-16. Remember to send Barbara a card at her nursing home in San Antonio, Texas. Please call the office before noon to get the address and phone number for Barbara.
Re Holle is recovering from knee surgery. Weldon Houston is out of the hospital and recovering in a nursing home in Stephenville. Continue to pray for their swift recovery.
November 10 has been set for the Dublin United Methodist Harvest Festival. A fish fry and lots of fun is scheduled for that day and evening.
Our congregation will give a love offering to the Schrader Family whose home was struck by a car. We will participate with other community efforts to assist these folks.
The pianist played “There’s something about That Name” for the offertory.
Holy Communion was given to the congregation at the altar rail.
Sunday afternoon Pastor Ken took communion to members in Golden Age Manor and several shut-ins at home.
In the children’s lesson Pastor Ken talked about “Welcome” mats. They greet people who come to our house in a warm and friendly way.
When Jesus’ disciple tried to shoo away the children who wanted to see Jesus, Jesus said “Let the children come to me and don’t stop them, The Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.”
Pastor Ken preached on what the Bible has to say about divorce.
Rev. Ken Lunsford took his sermon in part from Mark 10:2-16. This says some Pharisees came and to test Him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” But Jesus said to them, Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation, “God has made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
Pastor Ken said the trouble families’ face today makes us nostalgic for the 1950s. Our daily world is so different from that era. Some things are better, we have more material goods, but with that comes longer work days, long commutes, more meals away from home and the destruction of many families. Divorce, almost unheard of during the 1950s now affects 60% of the children in America before they reach 18 years of age and everyone in the congregation has been touched by divorce.
Perhaps, Jesus’ teachings have been used against you, and you have had more pain added to the heartbreak of a broken marriage by the reaction of so-called Christian friends or family members. We need to understand divorce was quite common in Jesus’ time, just as it is today. But it was very different socially. Women were treated as possessions. Often they were sold or traded to men for marriage to acquire land or other property. And as Property, women were frequently disposed of quite cruelly.
The Pharisees did not ask if it was alright for a couple to divorce, but if a man could divorce his wife. Marriage was a very unequal arrangement protected by the religious establishment of the day. But Jesus wants us to see relationships are sacred. He goes back to creation and says “God made them male and female” “What God has joined, let no one separate.” Jesus tells his disciples that marriage is a sacred event and divorce is a sin. That was a big change.
In Deuteronomy 24-1 Moses says a man can give his wife a certificate of divorce and walk away, having fulfilled the law. Then Jesus says if you divorce and remarry, it is adultery. Next St. Paul writes in 1st Corinthians 7:10-16 that it would be acceptable for a believer to divorce an unbeliever. Jesus’ words should take precedence, but He wanted us to focus on the condition of a person’s heart, not a legalistic approach to life. Listen to His words in John 8 to the woman caught in adultery, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one sir.” She said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Divorce does not make God happy, but God still loves the person involved. And it shouldn’t change our attitude toward them either: do not judge.
I misspelled Pat’s sister’s name last week, she is Barb Volpe. The “V” is too close to the “B” on my keyboard!
Jean Volpe had birthday on 10-6 and Pat Beaty celebrated one on 10-9. Our wonderful friend, Barbara Bean, will have a birthday on 10-16. Remember to send Barbara a card at her nursing home in San Antonio, Texas. Please call the office before noon to get the address and phone number for Barbara.
Re Holle is recovering from knee surgery. Weldon Houston is out of the hospital and recovering in a nursing home in Stephenville. Continue to pray for their swift recovery.
November 10 has been set for the Dublin United Methodist Harvest Festival. A fish fry and lots of fun is scheduled for that day and evening.
Our congregation will give a love offering to the Schrader Family whose home was struck by a car. We will participate with other community efforts to assist these folks.
The pianist played “There’s something about That Name” for the offertory.
Holy Communion was given to the congregation at the altar rail.
Sunday afternoon Pastor Ken took communion to members in Golden Age Manor and several shut-ins at home.
In the children’s lesson Pastor Ken talked about “Welcome” mats. They greet people who come to our house in a warm and friendly way.
When Jesus’ disciple tried to shoo away the children who wanted to see Jesus, Jesus said “Let the children come to me and don’t stop them, The Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.”
Pastor Ken preached on what the Bible has to say about divorce.
Rev. Ken Lunsford took his sermon in part from Mark 10:2-16. This says some Pharisees came and to test Him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” But Jesus said to them, Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation, “God has made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
Pastor Ken said the trouble families’ face today makes us nostalgic for the 1950s. Our daily world is so different from that era. Some things are better, we have more material goods, but with that comes longer work days, long commutes, more meals away from home and the destruction of many families. Divorce, almost unheard of during the 1950s now affects 60% of the children in America before they reach 18 years of age and everyone in the congregation has been touched by divorce.
Perhaps, Jesus’ teachings have been used against you, and you have had more pain added to the heartbreak of a broken marriage by the reaction of so-called Christian friends or family members. We need to understand divorce was quite common in Jesus’ time, just as it is today. But it was very different socially. Women were treated as possessions. Often they were sold or traded to men for marriage to acquire land or other property. And as Property, women were frequently disposed of quite cruelly.
The Pharisees did not ask if it was alright for a couple to divorce, but if a man could divorce his wife. Marriage was a very unequal arrangement protected by the religious establishment of the day. But Jesus wants us to see relationships are sacred. He goes back to creation and says “God made them male and female” “What God has joined, let no one separate.” Jesus tells his disciples that marriage is a sacred event and divorce is a sin. That was a big change.
In Deuteronomy 24-1 Moses says a man can give his wife a certificate of divorce and walk away, having fulfilled the law. Then Jesus says if you divorce and remarry, it is adultery. Next St. Paul writes in 1st Corinthians 7:10-16 that it would be acceptable for a believer to divorce an unbeliever. Jesus’ words should take precedence, but He wanted us to focus on the condition of a person’s heart, not a legalistic approach to life. Listen to His words in John 8 to the woman caught in adultery, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one sir.” She said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Divorce does not make God happy, but God still loves the person involved. And it shouldn’t change our attitude toward them either: do not judge.
RSS Feed