Ahoy There Church Members!

Have you ever heard something and then you couldn't shake what you'd heard from your head. This usually happens with an unusually annoying song or a weird word or something like that. Ninety nine percent of the time that really bugs me to no end ... however, there is that one percent that seems to make up for it. Every once in awhile I'll here something really profound that sticks with me, something that I'm grateful to have heard.

A couple of weeks ago I heard a pretty smart man say something about his father. His dad was a ship's captain and as his son mentioned ... his father was a successful leader because he realized that it's the crew that truly defines the ship. Without the crew, a ship is nothing more than rivets and steel. A ship without a crew is actually no vessel at all.

As I said, that's something that has stuck with me over these past few weeks. It's a lesson I hope not to forget any time soon because what's true for a ship at sea is also true for our church here on dry land. When we think about our church we can quickly get the image in our mind of the structure where we worship and have fellowship. This is one way of thinking about our church but ultimately it isn't the most accurate. Our church is actually our congregation, it's the men, women, and children who join together as a family of faith. It's the ever growing circle of people who are ready and willing to open their hearts as well as their doors to new people. Our church is children laughing and adults patting each other on the back and embracing one another with a caring hug. Our church is the people who give generously of their time, talents and resources to reach the lost, the lonely and the hurting. Our church is the people who have made the decision to trust Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, proclaim Him as the Head of the Church and the Savior of our Souls. Our church is ... you! Without you this place we call church is nothing more than bricks and mortar ... wood and glass. You are the church. You are the Body of Christ. You are important ... each and everyone of you.

"... so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individual members of one another" - Romans 12:5.

This Sunday the Women's Guild will have their annual Valentine's Day bake sale after worship. There will be plenty of pies, cakes, and various other desserts to choose from ... something for everyone's taste. Come to worship and afterward endulge your sweet tooth all the while helping to support our Women's Guild.

Also this Sunday, the church council will meet in regular session after worship.This will the first council meeting for the new members coming on board to serve this term. It will also be a time to thank the outgoing council members for thier faithful service.

Don't forget Ash Wednesday is coming up soon. Ash Wednesday begins the Lenten Season ... a time when we prepare ourselves to evaluate the cost of our discipleship by more fully appreciating the sacrifice made on our behalf by our Lord Jesus Christ. Ash Wednesday service begins at 7 pm on February 22.

Our Youth Rally will begin at 6:30 pm this Friday. We'll begin our celebration with a great meal of various types of Mexican food followed by puppet rehearsal, worship and fellowship. There is no age limit for any of these activities ... everyone is invited!

Have a blessed week.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Darrin

Old Truck, Old Dog, Old Man

Last week I had to take my old pick up truck to the shop because it was leaking power steering fluid all over my driveway, the church parking lot and anywhere else I happened to be parked.  When the repairs were done and I went to pick up my truck I told the mechanic that many people had tried to convince me that my truck was old and I needed to get a new one. I told him that the main criticisms were that the luster of the paint was getting dull and there were several dents and rust spots, also my old truck makes creaking noises and does tend to leak fluids from time to time. I told him that in many ways the same things can be said about me and I'm certainly not ready for the junkyard.  I believe I still have many miles left in me and so does my truck.  My mechanic doesn't agree with my assessment. He told me that my truck may last another year at the most and I should never take it out for long drives on the highway.

I drove home that afternoon thinking about what my mechanic had said about my truck. Needless to say, I wasn't in a great mood when I walked into my house that afternoon. To make things worse, as soon as I got home the first of my many dogs to great me was my oldest, and one of my most beloved Yorke's .... Buster.  I've had Buster for a little over twelve years now and he is starting to show his age. His beard is gray and he is starting to walk a lot slower than he once did.  Like my truck, Buster isn't in the best shape.  Looking at him I started to wonder how much longer he would be around?  I was starting to get a little down in the mouth thinking about how much longer I'd have my dog and for how much longer I would be able to drive my truck? Of course, the real kicker is ...my truck and my dog aren't the only things getting older, its happening to me too. How much longer would I be able to enjoy all the things I like doing?

I could have really let all of this get to me but I decided to go in another direction instead. Instead of worrying about when my dog would die, I decided to spend some extra time with him and enjoy him while he's still here. Instead of worrying about how long my old truck was going to last me, I decided to enjoy the ride for all long as I can and thank God each time it starts up and gets me to where I need to go. Instead of wondering how much longer I'll be able to enjoy the physical activities that I enjoy so much ... I decided to run and jump and play football and do everything I can, appreciating every moment until that day comes when my body just won't be able to do those things anymore.  In simple terms, I decided to appreciate everything I have day by day and moment by moment.  Most importantly I'm making a conscious effort to thank the Lord for every precious moment I have upon this earth. While my truck, my dog and eventually myself as well ... will one day cease to be what it is now ... my relationship with Jesus Christ will last forever. That my friends is what makes all the difference in the world.

Jesus once said, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble"  - Matthew 6:34.

A big THANK YOU to everyone who was able to stay and participate in our annual meeting last Sunday. A special thanks to our youth group and their parents for preparing and serving the meal. It was a great blessing all around!

This Sunday we will be celebrating the sacrament of holy communion. Our Scripture lesson will be John 11:17-44. We'll be talking about how sometime God answers our prayers in unexpected ways.

Mark your calendars now because we will have a special Ash Wednesday Service on February 22 at 7pm to begin the Lenten Season.

There will be a Youth Rally and praise celebration this Friday beginning at 7 pm. Everyone is invited!

Let us continue to pray for one another brothers and sisters. Hold each other up in prayer daily and remember those who are in the hospitals, nursing homes, shut-ins, mourning the loss of a loved one and those who are recovering from surgery.

May our Lord Jesus richly bless you this week and always.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Darrin

What's Under the Peel?

There are two things in this life I do not like; catching a cold and taking medicine. Unfortunately, those two things go hand in hand especially during these winter months. Since I don't like taking medicine it's best for me not to catch a cold. In order for me not to catch a cold I have to do a lot of prevention. When I go into a hospital, for example, I wash my hands with a generous dose of that liquid germ killer that's always available at the front entrance. I use it again before I go into a patients room and once again on my way out. That's just one way to put the odds in my favor when it comes to not getting sick. Another thing I like to do is eat plenty of citrus fruit, especially oranges. You can never get enough vitamin C as far as I'm concerned. I'm telling you all of this to make a point, not just about personal hygiene but also about eating oranges and maybe something else too ... you'll just have to wait and see.

Anyway, I was getting ready to eat one of my all important sickness prevention oranges the other day. It was a nice orange too. It was big and round and shiny. It had just the perfect tint of color ... it looked like one of those oranges that you would see on the label of an orange juice container. It was the healthiest looking piece of fruit I've ever seen. I took one look at that orange and I just knew that if I ate the whole thing all of my potential health issues would be alleviated right then and there. I would never have to worry about a cold, the flu, bronchitis, arthritis, knock knees, lock jaw, or pneumonia for the rest of my life! That orange looked that good.

I couldn't wait to peel this wondrous specimen of natural goodness so I could reap the health benefits right then and there. As soon as I did, as soon as I started to pull back the peel of that orange I knew something wasn't right. As good as that orange looked on the outside, it looked equally bad, if not worse, on the inside.  The fruit of that orange was all pale and withered. It had brown spots and black blotches and it was starting to turn a color I'd never seen before. When I took the rest of that peel off I realized I was holding in my hands an orange that would make a fruit fly lose it's lunch.  It was the worst looking excuse for an orange I'd ever seen in my entire life.

My friends, the world is full of people, places and things that are just like that orange. They look so good and inviting on the outside but on the inside they are truly rotten. You and I and everyone else has probably had a run in with that kind of orange in one way or another. It's the kind of thing that can make a person skeptical of every orange from that point onward. It can cause someone to never want to eat another orange for the rest of his or her life.

Brothers and sisters, lets make sure as Christians and as a Christian Church that we are never that kind of orange. When people look beyond what we are on the outside lets make sure they find something good on the inside. Lets live our faith daily with faith, courage, and confidence. Lets make sure we show mercy, kindness, and a gentle spirit to everyone we encounter. Lets make sure we turn people onto Christ not away from Him. On our own that may not always be easy but as our Lord Jesus teaches us, "with God all things are possible"  - Mark 10:27.

This Sunday we will holding our annual congregational meeting. Come and share food, fellowship, and hear what your church has been doing during the past year and what our plans are for this year. The youth group will be providing the meal and a free-will offering will be accepted.

If you would like to represent Christ United Church as a delegate to our Houston Association Spring and Fall meetings or the Annual South Central Conference meeting please feel free to lift your arm up as high as you can and shout out that you want to volunteer during our congregational meeting.

Throughout the month of February we will be collecting breakfast cereal, peanut butter, jelly, and juice boxes for Cypress Assistance Ministry. All donations can be dropped off at the church Mon. thru Thurs. 9 AM until 3 PM or on Sunday in the food box located in the Narthex.

Our Scripture lesson for our Sunday worship celebration will be Ezra 6:1-12. We'll be talking about how important it is to include the Lord in our daily activities and how working with Him always makes things work out for the better. Be sure to come to church and don't be shy to invite a friend to keep you company.

Have a great week.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Darrin