Ramblings--20091102

CHBC Ramblings
Monday, November 2, 2009

You CAN Make a Difference!
This past Sunday, we read some of the saddest words in all the Bible:

The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them” (Genesis 6.5-7 NIV).

Mankind had so grieved God that He was filled with pain. (Isn’t it amazing? We have the power to hurt God!) He decided His creation on earth wasn’t working. He was going to bring it to an end. But you may have noticed that we are still here. Why? Because of what one person did:

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord...Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God (Genesis 6.8-9 NIV).

In the message Sunday, we noted some characteristics of Noah that were characteristic of why it was said that he walked with God. Often, we are overwhelmed when we see all the evil in the world. We wonder if we can make a difference. But like Noah, we too can make a difference when we walk with God. If you missed the message, it will be on our website in the next few days (www.clairmonthills.org—look for “Media” then “Sermons”). Or, you can contact the church office to request a CD of the message.

Many commented on how meaningful the service was yesterday. Part of it, no doubt, was adding some additional instruments (violin, flute, and oboe) for some of our singing and for a time or personal meditation. A variety of music certainly enhances our worship times.

Remembrance: Veterans Day and Communion
This coming Sunday (November 8) will be a time of remembrance. First, we will remember the sacrifice and service of our veterans as we begin our service with a presentation that includes all veterans. If you are veteran, please wear your uniform if you are able. (If you know a veteran who needs to be reminded about it, please tell him or her!) As part of our remembrance, the Men’s Gospel Quartet will sing. Later in the service, as we continue our theme of Remembrance, we will celebrate the sacrifice and service of our Savior, Jesus Christ, as we partake of the bread and the cup. I hope that you will join us for what we expect will be a meaningful time of worship. (Remember that on days of Communion we take a special benevolence offering at the close of the service.)

Ordination of Deacons Sunday Evening
Another special part of our day this coming Sunday will be the ordination of two new members of our Deacon Body. This is a “ministry-only” group that serves all of our members in times of sickness and need. Jeanette Wynn will be ordained as a deaconess, and Rick Rogers will be ordained as a deacon. Both of these will share their testimonies in the service, and ALL of the congregation who desires can take part in the Laying On of Hands and the Words of Encouragement. During that time of the service, our ordained ministers and deacons will lead out with the laying on of hands, and then all others present will be invited to follow after as everyone has the opportunity to share prayerful words of encouragement.

By the way, there has been some question over the years in Baptist churches about who can serve as a deacon. In 2006 I preached a message in an evening service and repeated it this past August to address particularly the sometimes controversial topics of marital status and gender as it relates to the question of who can be a deacon. If you would like to read a copy of this manuscript, you can find it here: http://clairmonthills.org/media/remository?func=fileinfo&id=16.

New Look for Our Website
We have recently redesigned our website, and I invite you to take a look. Feel free to offer any thoughts you have about it and report any “bugs” you note. If your old bookmark doesn’t work with the updated site, manually type in www.clairmonthills.org (or just click on the previous link) and then bookmark that new address. (The old home page had some extra characters after the main address, and your old bookmark may not find the updated site because of that.)

Upcoming...
Operation Christmas Child Shoe boxes (brochures will be in the programs this coming Sunday), Thanksgiving season, and Carol Woodford on November 29 in the evening are all part of November, and Advent is just around the corner!

It is important for us to worship, fellowship, and minister together. Please be present this Sunday morning—and bring someone with you. May God bless you!

Fred O. Pitts, Pastor