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Mission Moment 6.7.23
Christine
CBF Field Personnel in Africa/Middle East
It has become my practice to sit out at this table (pictured below) each evening. After my last lesson for the day, like a five-year-old learning to write for the first time, I practice writing my letters. Tracing the lines laid out on the page before me over and over as I learn to write these new letters, learning to turn these unfamiliar patterns into words and sentences and so on. As I write, it is the practice of repetition, the same 28 letters, over and over, one after another.
And as I work, I watch the sun set over the city. My view from the table, situated high along the mountainside offers just a glimpse of the expansive seaside city below peeking through the trees. As I sit, I’ve found myself praying for the city and the country it represents and for its people. For this new place I’m calling home. I think about all that this city has been through. You can feel the heartache rising from below. There is anger and suffering; fear and hopelessness. Despair about what comes next and about how to make things better for the next generation.
This city, one of the oldest in the world, has a history that is rich with culture and character. For generations, literally thousands of years, it has offered its wealth and energy, its creative and hospitable spirit, its tenacity and its vibrant colors to the world.
I find myself praying for peace, within and without; for clarity and wise leadership; for justice and freedom from corruption; for reconciliation across nationalities and religious divisions; for clean water and food to eat; for opportunities to work and be treated with dignity. I am praying for God’s presence to be felt in real and tangible ways. I pray for a hopeful encounter with God who whispers over and over to each of us: I will always love you and I will never leave you.
PRAY . . . GIVE . . . GO . . .
Giving the Jesus Way
United Christian Ministries is in need of pasta sauce, ramen, pancake syrup, applesauce (6-pack individual cups), and laundry detergent. To donate items, please drop them off at UCM’s building at 191 Skyland Drive. Thank you!
Sunday School and Childcare is Available!
Pen Pal Event Planned for June 7
Pen pals—adult and children—please continue writing to your friends. Both groups love receiving mail from their pen pals.
On June 7, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., there will be a Wonderful Water Day to celebrate the Pen Pal Project. This takes the place of the carnival we have had for the last 2 years. You will be hearing more about it, but in the meantime, get your water clothes together for a fun-filled afternoon!
The Hospitality Table After Worship Is Back!
Sign up here to provide goodies and beverages on Sunday mornings after worship.
When we are hospitable, our congregation can become a church on the sidewalk after worship while munching on a cookie or sipping fruit punch. Click here and find a Sunday to host our Hospitality Table!
Honoring Your Father in June
Father’s Day is Sunday, June 18, and we would like to encourage you to submit a photo of your father to be displayed during the month of June at the church.
You can email the photo to Diane White at degenaro@bellsouth.net. Also, be sure to include the name of your father and your name so that it can be added to the photo as shown in the sample shown.
If you don’t email, you can bring the photo to the church office, and Janice will help you. All photos need to be received by Friday, June 9.
Congratulations, Dean and Shirley Kool!
Congratulations, Dean and Shirley Kool!
June 13 will be their
70th wedding anniversary!
Recipes Appreciated!
Each week we include a recipe in the Church Chimes and we hope that you are enjoying reading and trying them. You can add your favorite recipes to the Chimes by sending them to Cheryl Beck at cabeck@ncsu.edu. This is an ongoing WMU project.
Thanks for participating!
Join Us for Worship!
Join us for worship on Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. in the sanctuary! Also join us for Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. for all ages!
The CDC recommends that you wear a mask indoors.
Maximize protection from the Delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others.
Our worship service will be streamed online at firstbaptistsylva.com.