While reading John Piper's sermon at the True Woman Conference today at www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/ConferenceMessages/ByDate/2008/3296_The_Ultimate_Meaning_of_True_Womanhood/,
I was prompted to think about how my wife Janet exemplifies a godly woman, a woman who trusts in Christ and serves others with a compassionate heart. Normally, I do not think much about what it means to be a woman, since I am a man and I am trying to teach my son to become a godly man someday, too. However, I would like for my son to marry a godly woman in the future, so it is important to think about what true womanhood is.
I thought back to when we were waiting for someone to choose us as adoptive parents for a child. We were leading home Bible studies at an apartment complex through the urban ministry that eventually evolved into the Contact Church of Christ. I was teaching the adults while Janet was teaching the children. After a while, we found out that the mother of one of the boys who was coming to the Bible study was expecting another baby. Due to complications with her pregnancy, she could not leave her apartment except for doctor's appointments. At the same time, the mother of some of the other children who were attending the Bible study was expecting a child, too.
Each Monday evening, an hour before we would start the Bible study, we would take some food to the mother who could not leave her apartment, and enjoy dinner with her. For the most part, I would eat my meal, while Janet and the woman would talk. Then, we would go to the apartment where we would conduct the Bible study, but often Janet would stop and talk to the other woman (who was rumored to be a prostitute) along the way.
Eventually, the children were born. The woman who had been confined to her apartment had a healthy baby girl, but the other woman had a baby boy with Down syndrome. When Janet realized that neither woman had been given a baby shower, she organized a shower for both of them, inviting the women of the Jenks Church to join with her in celebrating the lives of the newborn babies.
Although we continued to wait for the opportunity to become parents, Janet did not become bitter. Instead, she reached out to a couple of mothers who were struggling. She saw that they had no family or friends who could help with their newborn children, so she made sure that they received tons of the essentials needed for the first several months of their lives. Janet did not let her needs prevent her from connecting with others to meet their needs. She displayed Christ-honoring compassion and faith, the marks of a truly good woman.
I hope that my future daughter-in-law will share my wife's character. If she does, Christopher will be a very blessed young man.
Showing posts with label Jenks Church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jenks Church. Show all posts
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
A True Pastor
"To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers--not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away" (1 Peter 5:1-4).
A few years ago, an elder of the Jenks Church led a unique Wednesday evening Bible class. Rather than meeting in a classroom as usual, he invited everyone interested to join him in the lobby. From there, we traveled around the area visiting our elderly and disabled members who had difficulty making it to our Wednesday evening classes. We visited some in their homes and others in a nursing home. I knew some of our members, but due to their long-term health problems, I had never met others. We were able to sit and visit, read a few verses from the Bible, and pray with some of our great saints.
I will never forget those summer classes. A great elder showed me what a true pastor looks like: a man who takes care of his flock, especially the members who would be easy to overlook.
A few years ago, an elder of the Jenks Church led a unique Wednesday evening Bible class. Rather than meeting in a classroom as usual, he invited everyone interested to join him in the lobby. From there, we traveled around the area visiting our elderly and disabled members who had difficulty making it to our Wednesday evening classes. We visited some in their homes and others in a nursing home. I knew some of our members, but due to their long-term health problems, I had never met others. We were able to sit and visit, read a few verses from the Bible, and pray with some of our great saints.
I will never forget those summer classes. A great elder showed me what a true pastor looks like: a man who takes care of his flock, especially the members who would be easy to overlook.
Saturday, August 09, 2008
An Introduction to the Contact Church
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen" (Ephesians 3:20-21).
I have the privilege of being a member of a special congregation, the Contact Church of Christ. We began nearly 10 years ago as the Park Plaza Church of Christ launched an effort to reach the inner city of Tulsa with the good news of Jesus Christ. Soon, other congregations joined the effort. (Janet and I started as volunteers from Jenks Church in January 2001.) On Easter Sunday of 2002, the Tulsa urban ministry launched the Contact Church of Christ.
The Contact Church has Bible classes each Sunday morning. We have several solid Bible teachers with years of experience at all levels of our Sunday school program.
Our worship services include singing praise to God (with a variety of traditional hymns, spirituals, and contemporary praise choruses), observing the Lord's Supper, a sermon, and an offering. We have a period for prayer requests and praise in which anyone in the congregation can share. This usually takes 10 to 15 minutes, and is a vital part of building a sense of community within the congregation. After worship services, we usually enjoy lunch together, with an area church usually providing the meal.
Our ministries include a food bank which serves thousands of Tulsans each year and a clothing room which serves hundreds. Our youth group (led by Bob and Sarah Logsdon--see their blog at http://urbanlogfamily.blogspot.com/) keeps our teens connected and into God's word. The church sponsors a Christian club at Clinton Middle School. Our members provide donuts, juice, Bible lessons, and listening ears to the students before classes start on Wednesday mornings. (It has become the most popular club on campus. The principal credits the Contact Church with changing the school's atmosphere and enabling it to be removed from the state's at-risk schools list.) Our Contact Recovery House provides housing, recovery groups, and Bible studies for men struggling with drug and alcohol addictions. Our ministry to new mothers provides prenatal and postnatal care, Bible lessons, lessons in parenting, and necessities like baby formula, baby clothing, maternity clothing, and cribs for young mothers and their children. We conduct Bible studies at several low-income housing projects. In addition, our members volunteer and reach out to people in need throughout the week in a variety of ways (from providing transportation to children and homeless people to visiting the local jail), without fanfare or organization.
If you would like to help our ministers or ministries, become involved in urban ministry, visit a worship service or prayer meeting, or receive help, you may find more information at http://www.contactchurch.net/. Thanks for reading!
I have the privilege of being a member of a special congregation, the Contact Church of Christ. We began nearly 10 years ago as the Park Plaza Church of Christ launched an effort to reach the inner city of Tulsa with the good news of Jesus Christ. Soon, other congregations joined the effort. (Janet and I started as volunteers from Jenks Church in January 2001.) On Easter Sunday of 2002, the Tulsa urban ministry launched the Contact Church of Christ.
The Contact Church has Bible classes each Sunday morning. We have several solid Bible teachers with years of experience at all levels of our Sunday school program.
Our worship services include singing praise to God (with a variety of traditional hymns, spirituals, and contemporary praise choruses), observing the Lord's Supper, a sermon, and an offering. We have a period for prayer requests and praise in which anyone in the congregation can share. This usually takes 10 to 15 minutes, and is a vital part of building a sense of community within the congregation. After worship services, we usually enjoy lunch together, with an area church usually providing the meal.
Our ministries include a food bank which serves thousands of Tulsans each year and a clothing room which serves hundreds. Our youth group (led by Bob and Sarah Logsdon--see their blog at http://urbanlogfamily.blogspot.com/) keeps our teens connected and into God's word. The church sponsors a Christian club at Clinton Middle School. Our members provide donuts, juice, Bible lessons, and listening ears to the students before classes start on Wednesday mornings. (It has become the most popular club on campus. The principal credits the Contact Church with changing the school's atmosphere and enabling it to be removed from the state's at-risk schools list.) Our Contact Recovery House provides housing, recovery groups, and Bible studies for men struggling with drug and alcohol addictions. Our ministry to new mothers provides prenatal and postnatal care, Bible lessons, lessons in parenting, and necessities like baby formula, baby clothing, maternity clothing, and cribs for young mothers and their children. We conduct Bible studies at several low-income housing projects. In addition, our members volunteer and reach out to people in need throughout the week in a variety of ways (from providing transportation to children and homeless people to visiting the local jail), without fanfare or organization.
If you would like to help our ministers or ministries, become involved in urban ministry, visit a worship service or prayer meeting, or receive help, you may find more information at http://www.contactchurch.net/. Thanks for reading!
Sunday, October 07, 2007
The Anger of Jesus
"Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, 'Stand up in front of everyone.'
Then Jesus asked them, 'Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?' But they remained silent.
He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus" (Mark 3:1-6, NIV).
Most of the time, when I think of the character of Jesus, I think of his compassion or his courage or his faithfulness. I seldom think of his anger, but his anger gives us some insight into his character, which we are called to imitate.
On this occasion, Jesus became angry when the Pharisees were more concerned about their rule-keeping than about a hurting man. He became furious at the virtuous men who had become blind to the needs of the people around them.
I have some understanding of the Pharisees, though. Sometimes I become so task-oriented that I lose sight of the people around me. How often have I become so engrossed in preparing a Bible lesson for Sunday morning that I have become blind to my wife's need to help with the dishes or my son's need for attention? How many times have I not even noticed that a co-worker's life is falling apart a few feet from me because I am obsessed with meeting a deadline? I have no idea, but I have some idea of how it can be easy to miss the needs of people while focusing on a task. The Pharisees were focused on the task of keeping the Sabbath, but they could not see a man in need among them.
Sometimes like the Pharisees, we make up rules in churches. For example, we may have a rule against cell phone usage during worship assemblies. It's a good rule most of the time. It keeps us from distractions. However, when it gets in the way of human needs, I know that it makes Jesus angry as much as the Sabbath rules of the Pharisees made him angry.
I remember one time when a church broke the rules because of our needs, and I am grateful for their willingness to do so. The weekend before our son was born, Janet and I knew that the time was near. We knew that Christopher's birth mother was due to give birth at any time, and that her lawyers could call at any moment for us to go to the hospital. We explained our situation to Tracy Ellis, the minister of the Jenks Church. "No problem," he said. He knew our needs and he refused to let the rules get in the way of meeting them. I kept my eyes on our cell phone the entire morning. I believe that Jesus smiled on the Jenks Church that Sunday morning as a rule was broken, but a need was met. (It turned out that we did not get the call during church services. We were able to be at the hospital 2 days later when our son was born. Another day later, we took him home. The adoption was completed a few months later.)
In order to be more like Jesus, I need to learn from his anger. I need to be more people-oriented and less task-oriented. I need to see the importance of people and be willing to get past rules that interfere with doing what God wants to be done. And I must become angry at what makes Jesus angry. "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son..." (Romans 8:29, NIV).
Then Jesus asked them, 'Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?' But they remained silent.
He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus" (Mark 3:1-6, NIV).
Most of the time, when I think of the character of Jesus, I think of his compassion or his courage or his faithfulness. I seldom think of his anger, but his anger gives us some insight into his character, which we are called to imitate.
On this occasion, Jesus became angry when the Pharisees were more concerned about their rule-keeping than about a hurting man. He became furious at the virtuous men who had become blind to the needs of the people around them.
I have some understanding of the Pharisees, though. Sometimes I become so task-oriented that I lose sight of the people around me. How often have I become so engrossed in preparing a Bible lesson for Sunday morning that I have become blind to my wife's need to help with the dishes or my son's need for attention? How many times have I not even noticed that a co-worker's life is falling apart a few feet from me because I am obsessed with meeting a deadline? I have no idea, but I have some idea of how it can be easy to miss the needs of people while focusing on a task. The Pharisees were focused on the task of keeping the Sabbath, but they could not see a man in need among them.
Sometimes like the Pharisees, we make up rules in churches. For example, we may have a rule against cell phone usage during worship assemblies. It's a good rule most of the time. It keeps us from distractions. However, when it gets in the way of human needs, I know that it makes Jesus angry as much as the Sabbath rules of the Pharisees made him angry.
I remember one time when a church broke the rules because of our needs, and I am grateful for their willingness to do so. The weekend before our son was born, Janet and I knew that the time was near. We knew that Christopher's birth mother was due to give birth at any time, and that her lawyers could call at any moment for us to go to the hospital. We explained our situation to Tracy Ellis, the minister of the Jenks Church. "No problem," he said. He knew our needs and he refused to let the rules get in the way of meeting them. I kept my eyes on our cell phone the entire morning. I believe that Jesus smiled on the Jenks Church that Sunday morning as a rule was broken, but a need was met. (It turned out that we did not get the call during church services. We were able to be at the hospital 2 days later when our son was born. Another day later, we took him home. The adoption was completed a few months later.)
In order to be more like Jesus, I need to learn from his anger. I need to be more people-oriented and less task-oriented. I need to see the importance of people and be willing to get past rules that interfere with doing what God wants to be done. And I must become angry at what makes Jesus angry. "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son..." (Romans 8:29, NIV).
Friday, August 03, 2007
Children's Bible Class Teachers
"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, 'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: 'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me'" (Matthew 18:1-5, NIV).
Sometimes it can be difficult for churches to fill the positions of children's Bible class teachers. It can be a difficult job. The younger children may need diapers changed. The older children may have questions that could never be answered in a mere hour. It can be a thankless job. Parents may never express appreciation. A church may never recognize the contribution that the teacher is making (although the Contact Church has always been good about showing appreciation to teachers).
However, a children's Bible class teacher has a great responsibility and potentially profound influence in the lives of children. When a child becomes a follower of Jesus Christ, he or she may not even remember that the Bible class teacher was the first person to introduce him or her to God, Christ, or the Holy Spirit. He or she may not recall that the teacher first explained such concepts as faith, repentance, baptism, prayer, heaven, hell, atonement, or propitiation. How many people would not be Christians today if not for children's Bible class teachers?
For years, Janet has taught Bible classes in the Jenks Church and the Contact Church of Christ on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. For the past 6 years, she has taught the children at the Normandy Apartments while I have taught their parents and grandparents on Monday nights. In her honor (and in honor of others like her), I am posting a portion of Harold Shank's Children Mean the World to God:
I never ran away from home, but I readily identify with...loneliness, vulnerability and despair. The confusion mounted in my mind throughout my sixth grade year. Finally the Church of Christ VBS came around again. The teacher was a nice gray-haired woman named Mildred Stutzman. After VBS, Mildred took me aside. I couldn't figure out why she wanted to talk to me. I was just a kid from the neighborhood who went to VBS every summer. She explained that she also had a sixth grade class on Sunday morning. It met in the same room. Some of the same children that were in VBS were in her class. She invited me to attend.
I remember being amazed at what Mildred was asking. In the grand scheme of things I wasn't important. I was the naive child who never went to church. But I was struggling with the God question, wondering where I would get answers. Then came a voice asking me to come to a place where those questions might be discussed. God heard my cry. He answered it with Mildred Stutzman...
So I started going to Sunday school and staying for church...
Two years later, with a great deal of thinking about the God-stuff in between, I told the preacher, "This is what I want. I want Jesus in my life and I want my life in this church." I became a Christian.
Today, Harold Shank is one of the most influential leaders among the Churches of Christ and a Bible professor at Oklahoma Christian University. It all started with a children's Bible teacher named Mildred Stutzman reaching out and teaching an ignorant little boy about God. The most amazing thing is: This is happening all the time in Sunday schools, Wednesday night classes, and urban ministries around the country and around the world. Often, we miss seeing it, because it takes time to see believers develop.
Sometimes it can be difficult for churches to fill the positions of children's Bible class teachers. It can be a difficult job. The younger children may need diapers changed. The older children may have questions that could never be answered in a mere hour. It can be a thankless job. Parents may never express appreciation. A church may never recognize the contribution that the teacher is making (although the Contact Church has always been good about showing appreciation to teachers).
However, a children's Bible class teacher has a great responsibility and potentially profound influence in the lives of children. When a child becomes a follower of Jesus Christ, he or she may not even remember that the Bible class teacher was the first person to introduce him or her to God, Christ, or the Holy Spirit. He or she may not recall that the teacher first explained such concepts as faith, repentance, baptism, prayer, heaven, hell, atonement, or propitiation. How many people would not be Christians today if not for children's Bible class teachers?
For years, Janet has taught Bible classes in the Jenks Church and the Contact Church of Christ on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. For the past 6 years, she has taught the children at the Normandy Apartments while I have taught their parents and grandparents on Monday nights. In her honor (and in honor of others like her), I am posting a portion of Harold Shank's Children Mean the World to God:
I never ran away from home, but I readily identify with...loneliness, vulnerability and despair. The confusion mounted in my mind throughout my sixth grade year. Finally the Church of Christ VBS came around again. The teacher was a nice gray-haired woman named Mildred Stutzman. After VBS, Mildred took me aside. I couldn't figure out why she wanted to talk to me. I was just a kid from the neighborhood who went to VBS every summer. She explained that she also had a sixth grade class on Sunday morning. It met in the same room. Some of the same children that were in VBS were in her class. She invited me to attend.
I remember being amazed at what Mildred was asking. In the grand scheme of things I wasn't important. I was the naive child who never went to church. But I was struggling with the God question, wondering where I would get answers. Then came a voice asking me to come to a place where those questions might be discussed. God heard my cry. He answered it with Mildred Stutzman...
So I started going to Sunday school and staying for church...
Two years later, with a great deal of thinking about the God-stuff in between, I told the preacher, "This is what I want. I want Jesus in my life and I want my life in this church." I became a Christian.
Today, Harold Shank is one of the most influential leaders among the Churches of Christ and a Bible professor at Oklahoma Christian University. It all started with a children's Bible teacher named Mildred Stutzman reaching out and teaching an ignorant little boy about God. The most amazing thing is: This is happening all the time in Sunday schools, Wednesday night classes, and urban ministries around the country and around the world. Often, we miss seeing it, because it takes time to see believers develop.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
A cappella Worship Music
"Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:19, NIV).
In the Churches of Christ, we have maintained an ancient tradition of singing worship music without instrumental accompaniment. In many congregations, the music has been outstanding by any standard.
I was aware that a few other churches share the same musical tradition. In an interesting article in this month's Christian Chronicle, Bobby Ross reports on a gathering of those groups at Pepperdine University for a symposium of sacred a cappella music. (See the article at http://www.christianchronicle.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=742). I was intrigued by the perspectives of Eastern Orthodox Churches, Mennonite Churches, Churches of Christ, and a few Presbyterian and Baptist Churches. I did not realize that such diverse theological traditions share a common musical tradition (although each may have distinctive styles within the a cappella tradition).
In recent years, Jenks Church (our former congregation), the Richland Hills Church of Christ in Fort Worth, the Quail Springs Church of Christ in Oklahoma City, Northwest Church in Seattle, and a few other Churches of Christ have added a worship service in which instrumental music is used. However, I believe that each congregation has maintained an a cappella service, too. As unity among the Churches of Christ and Christian Churches is being re-established, I would love to hear about a few Christian Churches adopting a cappella services in their line-up of worship service options, too. It is a good tradition, and it would be nice to share it with other Christians who are not accustomed to it. (To be honest, Amazing Grace should never be sung with instrumental accompaniment.)
In the Churches of Christ, we have maintained an ancient tradition of singing worship music without instrumental accompaniment. In many congregations, the music has been outstanding by any standard.
I was aware that a few other churches share the same musical tradition. In an interesting article in this month's Christian Chronicle, Bobby Ross reports on a gathering of those groups at Pepperdine University for a symposium of sacred a cappella music. (See the article at http://www.christianchronicle.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=742). I was intrigued by the perspectives of Eastern Orthodox Churches, Mennonite Churches, Churches of Christ, and a few Presbyterian and Baptist Churches. I did not realize that such diverse theological traditions share a common musical tradition (although each may have distinctive styles within the a cappella tradition).
In recent years, Jenks Church (our former congregation), the Richland Hills Church of Christ in Fort Worth, the Quail Springs Church of Christ in Oklahoma City, Northwest Church in Seattle, and a few other Churches of Christ have added a worship service in which instrumental music is used. However, I believe that each congregation has maintained an a cappella service, too. As unity among the Churches of Christ and Christian Churches is being re-established, I would love to hear about a few Christian Churches adopting a cappella services in their line-up of worship service options, too. It is a good tradition, and it would be nice to share it with other Christians who are not accustomed to it. (To be honest, Amazing Grace should never be sung with instrumental accompaniment.)
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Evil
"And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil" (Matthew 6:13, NASB).
Sometimes I forget about Satan. He usually works in such subtle ways that I fail to notice. Then something happens to remind me that Satan exists and that he is a powerful leader of strong spiritual forces.
I remembered Satan yesterday after hearing about the mass murders that took place on the campus of Virginia Tech. A young man chose to murder over 30 fellow students and professors. I do not know what was going through that man's mind, but I recognized the influence of the one called a "murderer from the beginning" by Jesus.
When we returned home from our Monday night Bible study, Janet showed me an e-mail from the prayer ministry of the Jenks Church (our former congregation and a supporter of one of our ministers at the Contact Church of Christ). In the e-mail, Lynessa Yeats forwarded a prayer request from her brother-in-law at a Church of Christ in Connecticut. The daughter of one of his congregation's elders had been attacked, beaten, raped, and cut for 19 hours by a "Satanic thug" (as one newpaper apparently described the man) over the weekend. Then, the thug left the young college student in her apartment as he set it on fire. She is in intensive care at a hospital in New York, and we have been praying for her since learning of her situation.
Satan is real, and sometimes we can see that truth with perfect clarity.
Jesus knew it, too. He dealt with him face-to-face. And he knew that we would need the help of God, so he taught us to pray, "Deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen" (Matthew 6:14, NASB). Thankfully, God is real, too.
Sometimes I forget about Satan. He usually works in such subtle ways that I fail to notice. Then something happens to remind me that Satan exists and that he is a powerful leader of strong spiritual forces.
I remembered Satan yesterday after hearing about the mass murders that took place on the campus of Virginia Tech. A young man chose to murder over 30 fellow students and professors. I do not know what was going through that man's mind, but I recognized the influence of the one called a "murderer from the beginning" by Jesus.
When we returned home from our Monday night Bible study, Janet showed me an e-mail from the prayer ministry of the Jenks Church (our former congregation and a supporter of one of our ministers at the Contact Church of Christ). In the e-mail, Lynessa Yeats forwarded a prayer request from her brother-in-law at a Church of Christ in Connecticut. The daughter of one of his congregation's elders had been attacked, beaten, raped, and cut for 19 hours by a "Satanic thug" (as one newpaper apparently described the man) over the weekend. Then, the thug left the young college student in her apartment as he set it on fire. She is in intensive care at a hospital in New York, and we have been praying for her since learning of her situation.
Satan is real, and sometimes we can see that truth with perfect clarity.
Jesus knew it, too. He dealt with him face-to-face. And he knew that we would need the help of God, so he taught us to pray, "Deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen" (Matthew 6:14, NASB). Thankfully, God is real, too.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Granny Winn's Eulogy
"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8, NIV).
Yesterday, I was able to leave work early to attend the memorial service of George Sly (a member of Jenks Church and the father of Mary Lasarsky). During the very good service, Tracy Ellis quoted Micah 6:8 and demonstrated how George Sly had lived out the principles of that verse. It reminded me of the eulogy that I wrote 4 years ago for my last living grandparent (and the only one who had the opportunity to see my son, Christopher). My cousin, Bryan Winn, read the eulogy at the funeral for me. The following is the eulogy as I wrote it:
Lovada Almalee (Maggard) Winn was born in Venice (Huntsville) Arkansas on February 13, 1930 to John and Bell Maggard. In 1933, the Maggard family moved to Westville, Oklahoma, where Lovada attended Westville Public Schools. On December 19, 1946, she married James Troy Winn in Lincoln, Arkansas. In 1958, they moved to Catoosa, Oklahoma. Lovada owned and operated Rainbow Mini Storage. She was preceeded in death by her husband, James Troy Winn. She is survived by...
...two sons (Henry Winn and Glenn Winn, both of Catoosa)
...three daughters (Joyce Laudett of Bella Vista, Arkansas; Glenna Beeler of Inola; and Lisa Taylor of Catoosa)
...three brothers (Neil Maggard of Westville; Ancil Maggard of Proctor; and Kenneth Maggard of Proctor)
...thirteen grandchildren
...and eleven great-grandchildren.
In Micah 6:8, the Bible asks one of the most important questions in life: "What does the Lord require of you?" Then, it reveals the answer: "To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Lovada Winn lived by those principles.
She was a woman who dealt fairly with people in her business and in life in general. She was known for her honesty and loyalty to people. She acted justly.
Lovada was also helpful to many people in need. Whether visiting a sick friend or church member, caring for her grandchildren, or helping a stranger, she touched many lives with her concern. She was both a great listener and a gifted conversationalist. Nobody felt alone in Lovada's presence. She love mercy.
In 1963, Lovada Winn professed her faith in Jesus Christ and was baptized at the Catoosa Church of Christ. She served as a member of the Plainview Church of Christ for a quarter of a century. Over those years, she taught numerous children about Jesus, encouraged many others, and became an example for all. Lovada's faith impacted generations, as her children and many grandchildren became believers. She considered the fact that all her children and many grandchildren were Christians to be the most satisfying aspect of her life. While she did many good things, Lovada always wanted to do even more and to be even better than she was. In her last days, she looked forward to heaven, and hoped to be found worthy because of God's grace. She walked humbly with her God.
Lovada Winn passed from this life to the next on May 7, 2003.
Yesterday, I was able to leave work early to attend the memorial service of George Sly (a member of Jenks Church and the father of Mary Lasarsky). During the very good service, Tracy Ellis quoted Micah 6:8 and demonstrated how George Sly had lived out the principles of that verse. It reminded me of the eulogy that I wrote 4 years ago for my last living grandparent (and the only one who had the opportunity to see my son, Christopher). My cousin, Bryan Winn, read the eulogy at the funeral for me. The following is the eulogy as I wrote it:
Lovada Almalee (Maggard) Winn was born in Venice (Huntsville) Arkansas on February 13, 1930 to John and Bell Maggard. In 1933, the Maggard family moved to Westville, Oklahoma, where Lovada attended Westville Public Schools. On December 19, 1946, she married James Troy Winn in Lincoln, Arkansas. In 1958, they moved to Catoosa, Oklahoma. Lovada owned and operated Rainbow Mini Storage. She was preceeded in death by her husband, James Troy Winn. She is survived by...
...two sons (Henry Winn and Glenn Winn, both of Catoosa)
...three daughters (Joyce Laudett of Bella Vista, Arkansas; Glenna Beeler of Inola; and Lisa Taylor of Catoosa)
...three brothers (Neil Maggard of Westville; Ancil Maggard of Proctor; and Kenneth Maggard of Proctor)
...thirteen grandchildren
...and eleven great-grandchildren.
In Micah 6:8, the Bible asks one of the most important questions in life: "What does the Lord require of you?" Then, it reveals the answer: "To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Lovada Winn lived by those principles.
She was a woman who dealt fairly with people in her business and in life in general. She was known for her honesty and loyalty to people. She acted justly.
Lovada was also helpful to many people in need. Whether visiting a sick friend or church member, caring for her grandchildren, or helping a stranger, she touched many lives with her concern. She was both a great listener and a gifted conversationalist. Nobody felt alone in Lovada's presence. She love mercy.
In 1963, Lovada Winn professed her faith in Jesus Christ and was baptized at the Catoosa Church of Christ. She served as a member of the Plainview Church of Christ for a quarter of a century. Over those years, she taught numerous children about Jesus, encouraged many others, and became an example for all. Lovada's faith impacted generations, as her children and many grandchildren became believers. She considered the fact that all her children and many grandchildren were Christians to be the most satisfying aspect of her life. While she did many good things, Lovada always wanted to do even more and to be even better than she was. In her last days, she looked forward to heaven, and hoped to be found worthy because of God's grace. She walked humbly with her God.
Lovada Winn passed from this life to the next on May 7, 2003.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
International Soul Winning Workshop 2007
In my post earlier today, I mentioned that we have been attending the International Soul Winning Workshop. In addition to the session about mission work in Rwanda, we attended the Thursday evening session featuring Bruce Marchiano, the actor who played the role of Jesus in The Gospel of Matthew video series. However, we did not spend any more time listening to preachers. I'm sure that there were some good speakers, but most of our time was spent talking to old friends and buying books and music CDs.
I don't know what Janet bought, except for a couple of Watershed CDs. I bought Little Boys Bible Storybook for Fathers and Sons to read to Christopher before bedtime. I also purchased the New American Standard Bible/New International Version Parallel Bible, The College Press NIV Commentary Minor Prophets Volume 2, Igniting the Moral Courage of America by Dean Kilmer, and Sundays with Scottie by Milton Jones. I'm looking forward to reading all of them.
We were able to talk to several old friends who were members of Jenks Church with us a number of years ago. In addition, we saw many members of the Contact Church of Christ at the church's booth.
We also talked to some people from Cookson Hills Christian Ministries, Pioneer Bible Translators, and a few other ministries. For a few minutes this morning, we talked with Colleen Deloach (who serves as a missionary with her husband Steve in Guyana). Their son, Isaiah (whom they adopted in Guyana) is still doing well. The medication continues to keep his HIV undetectable. (I have always admired how they adopted a baby with HIV from Guyana. I believe Isaiah is 10 years old now.) I asked Colleen how old a child should be before taking him on a mission trip to Guyana, because I want to take Christopher some day. Although her children were about 5 when they first went, she suggested about 10 years old would be appropriate. So we have something to look forward to in a few more years.
Finally, we appreciated Sarah Logsdon watching Christopher at her house for a few hours on Friday. He loved taking care of Bob and Sarah's baby, Miriam. If you are reading this Sarah, thanks again!
I don't know what Janet bought, except for a couple of Watershed CDs. I bought Little Boys Bible Storybook for Fathers and Sons to read to Christopher before bedtime. I also purchased the New American Standard Bible/New International Version Parallel Bible, The College Press NIV Commentary Minor Prophets Volume 2, Igniting the Moral Courage of America by Dean Kilmer, and Sundays with Scottie by Milton Jones. I'm looking forward to reading all of them.
We were able to talk to several old friends who were members of Jenks Church with us a number of years ago. In addition, we saw many members of the Contact Church of Christ at the church's booth.
We also talked to some people from Cookson Hills Christian Ministries, Pioneer Bible Translators, and a few other ministries. For a few minutes this morning, we talked with Colleen Deloach (who serves as a missionary with her husband Steve in Guyana). Their son, Isaiah (whom they adopted in Guyana) is still doing well. The medication continues to keep his HIV undetectable. (I have always admired how they adopted a baby with HIV from Guyana. I believe Isaiah is 10 years old now.) I asked Colleen how old a child should be before taking him on a mission trip to Guyana, because I want to take Christopher some day. Although her children were about 5 when they first went, she suggested about 10 years old would be appropriate. So we have something to look forward to in a few more years.
Finally, we appreciated Sarah Logsdon watching Christopher at her house for a few hours on Friday. He loved taking care of Bob and Sarah's baby, Miriam. If you are reading this Sarah, thanks again!
Friday, March 09, 2007
John Perkins and Urban Ministry
"So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God" (2 Corinthians 5:16-20, NIV).
Today, I read an article about John Perkins on the Christianity Today website (http://christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/march/35.48.html). It brought back memories of meeting Dr. Perkins almost 5 years ago at the Urban Ministry Conference of the Churches of Christ. He was a famous and impressive speaker, but many of us did not know who he was until he spoke that evening. (In fact, he was getting some food and coffee from the kitchen when Evelyn Jennings met him. She told me that she thought that he was just a man who had wandered in from the streets for some food. It happens often at the Contact Church of Christ.) Dr. Perkins was a preacher, a former labor union organizer, a civil rights activist, an advocate for the poor and hungry, a pro-life advocate, and a former advisor to President Reagan, but he was a humble and unassuming man at the same time.
After reading the article from Christianity Today, I thought that I would post an article that I wrote for our former congregation. This is a portion of an article from the November 2002 newsletter of Jenks Church:
URBAN MINISTRY LEADERS GATHER AT CONTACT CHURCH
By Terry Laudett
Urban ministry leaders gathered in Tulsa from October 24-26 at the Contact Church of Christ for the national Urban Ministry Conference of the Churches of Christ. The annual meeting provides a forum for Christians to share ideas, information, and encouragement in sharing God's love and message of grace with people in urban surroundings, especially those living in poverty...
On Friday, Dr. John Perkins, chairman of the Christian Community Development Association, built upon the conference theme of developing holistic Christian community within urban churches. He taught that the whole gospel is the love of God demonstrated to the whole world. "Don't overlook anyone," Dr. Perkins warned. Everyone needs reconciliation with God and with other people. Christians must reach across racial, economic, and cultural barriers as God's ambassadors to bring the message of reconciliation. Dr. Perkins noted, "To receive the grace of God, but not to be a reconciler, is to receive the grace of God in vain."
It was an honor to have met and talked with Dr. John Perkins.
Today, I read an article about John Perkins on the Christianity Today website (http://christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/march/35.48.html). It brought back memories of meeting Dr. Perkins almost 5 years ago at the Urban Ministry Conference of the Churches of Christ. He was a famous and impressive speaker, but many of us did not know who he was until he spoke that evening. (In fact, he was getting some food and coffee from the kitchen when Evelyn Jennings met him. She told me that she thought that he was just a man who had wandered in from the streets for some food. It happens often at the Contact Church of Christ.) Dr. Perkins was a preacher, a former labor union organizer, a civil rights activist, an advocate for the poor and hungry, a pro-life advocate, and a former advisor to President Reagan, but he was a humble and unassuming man at the same time.
After reading the article from Christianity Today, I thought that I would post an article that I wrote for our former congregation. This is a portion of an article from the November 2002 newsletter of Jenks Church:
URBAN MINISTRY LEADERS GATHER AT CONTACT CHURCH
By Terry Laudett
Urban ministry leaders gathered in Tulsa from October 24-26 at the Contact Church of Christ for the national Urban Ministry Conference of the Churches of Christ. The annual meeting provides a forum for Christians to share ideas, information, and encouragement in sharing God's love and message of grace with people in urban surroundings, especially those living in poverty...
On Friday, Dr. John Perkins, chairman of the Christian Community Development Association, built upon the conference theme of developing holistic Christian community within urban churches. He taught that the whole gospel is the love of God demonstrated to the whole world. "Don't overlook anyone," Dr. Perkins warned. Everyone needs reconciliation with God and with other people. Christians must reach across racial, economic, and cultural barriers as God's ambassadors to bring the message of reconciliation. Dr. Perkins noted, "To receive the grace of God, but not to be a reconciler, is to receive the grace of God in vain."
It was an honor to have met and talked with Dr. John Perkins.
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