Church guide

The pastor says they sit front and center. The gay boys. Somtimes they hold hands. And some folks have said he should address the issue. But the pastor tells me he doesn’t know what to say. And then there’s the man who sneaks in the back door. Fresh off the street. After the service starts. And leaves before alter call. The people sitting close complain about how bad he smells. Of beer and smoke and sweat. But the pastor tells me he doesn’t know what to say. And then there’s the young mama who wears dirty skin and lets her four children come in and eat all the donuts and drink all the watered-down juice. Some church staff say they “…eat like little pigs. Like they haven’t eaten in weeks.” While the mama just stands there and lets them. And the elders say something must be done and said. But the pastor tells me he doesn’t know what to say. And there’s the whore sitting among the faithful. And everybody knows her. She sits with a painted-up face, cheap perfume, and a broken heart. And those who sit close, well, they all treat her for what they think she is. And at the last staff meeting, her name came up. Something must be done about her. But the pastor tells me he doesn’t know what to say. The pastor is a good man. Holy and just. And he wants to do the “right and loving” thing. And he wants to “look like Jesus”. And he asks me if I have any thoughts on anything he could say. Yes, sweet Pastor. I do. Start with this and say it Louder than any other words: “Welcome to Church. This is a place of love and hope and safety and forgiveness. We will be food for the hungry. Living water for the thirsty. We are so glad you are here. You are invited. You are loved. Come on in—we’ve been waiting on you. Welcome here. We are the church.” Say that. To the called and to the called-out. To the leaders and the greeters. To the dirty and the clean. We are all the same. We are. May we blow the dust of religion out of our souls and choose affection instead. May our words and actions and reactions be a sanctuary for all. Jesus broke many laws to love. So, Jesus, be our voice. Be the only words we should ever speak. Written by Heather Burke Cody.

Learning about Fanny Crosby.

SCRIPTURE Luke 21:5-19 (NIV) 5 Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, 6 “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.” 7 “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?” 8 He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. 9 When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.” 10 Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. 12 “But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name.13 And so you will bear testimony to me. 14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 Everyone will hate you because of me. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish.19 Stand firm, and you will win life. SERMON Memorial Day Luke 21:5-19 It’s 3am on a cold winter day. On the trailer are 3 caskets draped in U.S. Flags and as the trailer approaches the lines or servicemen lining the streets, each pays their respects by saluting sharply the men and women who have paid the ultimate price. Similar ceremonies are played out in other parts of the world. Every conflict we’ve ever been involved in has had its share of casualties of both sons and daughters lost, often due to the unusual bravery they displayed in the midst of combat. One such individual was Douglas Albert Munro. Another such example is the sacrifice made by the Pat Tillman. It seems in every war, in every battle, almost without exception, such heroic actions occur, sometimes from individuals you would least expect. In a small, Middle Eastern country nearly 2,000 years ago, that’s exactly what happened. A closer look at this hero reveals some strong similarities to the heroes I just described, but also some significant differences. His name was Jesus, son of Joseph the carpenter. But really – who would have expected such heroic action from this man. In Isaiah 53 this was foretold far in advance. We read: “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (vs. 4-5) And He did it willingly, as Isaiah continues: “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” (vs. 7) Matthew records in his gospel, not once, but twice, Jesus responded to the pain and suffering He was about to endure with the words, “Not my will, Father, but Yours be done.” Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians: “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!” And in Romans chapter 5: “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” It’s at this point, however, where our comparison falls short. The men and women of the military put their lives in danger for the sake of their fellow soldiers against other human beings. The battle Christ waged was against something far more powerful and devastating. And the clearest, most dynamic example of how Christ’s life and death—and resurrection—inspired His people is the fact that we are gathered here today to sing hymns, hear the Word of God read and proclaimed, offer up our prayers of praise and petition, and encourage one another in our faith. In spite of the wide assortment of issues that have created problems, the fact remains that America still has the best well-equipped and trained military in the history of the world. But, Christians fight a different type of war beyond the physical act of combat. Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians: “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” (2 Cor.10:3-5) And in his letter to the Ephesians, Paul paints an even more specific and graphic picture when he describes the armor of God: “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” (Eph. 6:14-18) The story is told of one soldier who lived with that confidence even as he found himself in the heat of battle. We may not always receive answers to prayer in such dramatic fashion, and sometimes, even though our prayers may also involve physical protection or even the sparing of life, they may seem to go unanswered. But we have God’s promise that the ultimate victory in this world—the one which guarantees us eternity with Him—is ours, through our Lord Jesus Christ. The need for a military force will more than likely never disappear. Jesus even said in our Scripture today; “’When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.’ Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.’” (Lk.21:9-10) It is through our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines that we have the luxury of unprecedented freedoms on Earth. But, only Christ can grant the freedom from sin that His sacrifice has granted us.

Memorial Day may stand as a kick off to summer and day of celebration, but Please Remember Tomorrow as a Day of Honor, a day of honor and remembrance for those who have fallen to continue your freedom. (Photo Credit : ValKilmer on Twitter)

Obituary for our brother, father, son, cousin, uncle, brother-in-law, friend, Gary Reynolds. It is with great sadness that the family of Gary Wayne Reynolds announces his passing on Monday, May 20, 2019, at the age of 43. Gary will be forever remembered and loved by the love of his life, his daughter Raelyn Faye and her mother Sandy, his step-children Tyler and Brooklyn, his parents Terry and Martha, and his siblings Lisa (Micky) and Randy (Brittany). Gary will also be forever remembered and loved by his niece Sydnee, nephews Hunter and Bodie, extended family members and dear friends. Gary graduated from West Washington High School in 1994. During his high school years, Gary excelled in Track and Field. He was the first male athlete from West Washington to advance to Regionals in two different events. He was also a member of the West Washington Football team that played for a state championship. Gary was baptized and attended Mt. Tabor Christian Church. Gary was experienced in many trades. Most of the time, he worked as a Mason where he laid thousands of bricks, blocks and stones across several states in America, including Hawaii. He was a perfectionist and known for his excellent masonry skills he used on many homes and buildings- predominantly throughout Southern Indiana. He also worked as a handyman and completed various jobs for many people around the Salem area. Gary’s precise and beautiful work will be missed by many on earth, but we all know he’s already working on some golden, free standing arches in Heaven for the Lord God himself. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, May 25, 2019, from 12pm-3pm at the Mount Tabor Christian Church located at 7380 West Mount Tabor Road, Salem, IN 47167. Visitation starts at 12pm and the service starts at 3pm followed by the burial at Claysville Cemetery.

Please pray for the family of Gary Reynolds. According to his brother, Randy, he passed away peacefully just before midnight on May 20th. The family wants to Thank each one of you for their support and prayers during the past few weeks. Arrangements will be announced at a later date.

Please Continue to Pray for Gary Reynolds. (Latest is in the Comments of Original Post)

With Gary in the hospital, Terry and Martha have been staying at the hospital as much as possible. If you can spare anything, they have started a meal train to help cover some of their expenses while they are away from home. Please continue to pray for all of them. https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/v99e3z

Please put Gary Reynolds on your prayer lists, if he isn't there already. His parents have been long time active members of our church, and their children, including Gary attended while growing up.

April 7, 2019

Learning about Fanny Crosby.

Marta Koonce Music 🎵 Leipsic United Methodist Church 110th Anniversary Sunday 🎶 June 24th, 2018 (Sorry Videography by Phone and a little shaky)

Children’s Christmas Story, Group Sing, and a special by Wil Sears. Jesus is the Reason for the Season

Today, the Children were aloud to wear their Halloween Costumes (as long as they were appropriate) to service. Our Very Own Officer Sears sang a special. Here is just a taste.