The Pastor’s Blog
Song Of The Week
This weeks song is The Cartoon Song by Chris Rice. In Sunday School on Sunday mornings all of us in from1st-6th grade would sing songs before we did our lesson and one of the really special songs that we all loved was the cartoon song, but we didn't have it on CD, so we would always have to have someone play it for us on guitar and there was only one person who knew how to play it. Then that person stopped playing it for us and no one was there to play it, so for a long time we went on without hearing the cartoon song and then in Jr. High we were sitting in class and we hear the cartoon song playing from the hall and all of us in that class looked at eachother and smiled and we asked our teacher if we could go out and listen to it because we hadn't heard that song for so long so it was very special.This song is just thinking about what would happen if cartoons were christian and they take many of the sayings that some of the cartoon characters say and they turn them into praises and it is just a happy song. Whenever I hear this song I always think of all the good times I had in sunday school when I was younger and it just makes me really happy, so I hope this song puts a smile on your face just as much as it does mine.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pxo8Jtw7FN4
Chris Rice-The Cartoon Song-Snapshots:Live And Fan Favorites
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June Youth News
Twin Rocks– If you want to save $30 going to camp this year, please pre-register. If you participated in camp auction, contact the church office to get your scholarship refund. Each camper is asked to contribute $20 to help cover the transportation costs. Contact the church if you are going to be using the church's transportation to get to camp. Register for camp by going to www.twinrocks.org.
Girls Camp-July 1st-6th- Cost $257 if pre-registered by June 15- For girls entering 4th-6th grades next fall.
Boys Camp-July 15th-20th- Cost $257 if pre-registered by June 29th- For boys entering 4th-6th grades next fall.
Tween Camp– July 8th-14th – Cost $279 if pre-registered by June 22nd- For youth entering 7th-9th grades next fall.
Surfside Camp– August 5th-11th- Cost $279 if pre-registered by July 20- For youth completing 8th-12th grades next fall.
Congratulations to the 2012 Graduates!!- Graduating from College-Michael Burton from University for Oregon and Aracely Gomez Bravo from George Fox University. Graduating from High School- Zack Knorr and Jonathan Owings from Crater and Mitch Lesh and Marlon Campos from North Medford.
Mexico Missions Trip– THANK YOU to everyone who has helped contribute to the Mexico Missions Trip this year! Our team will leave on June 16th and will return on June 24th.This years team- Dave Gomez, Nate Swift, Ruthie Scott, Raymond Jarrett, Marlon Campos, Kyley Drake, Auston Chaney, Nicolas Salas, Christian Sicairos, and Bob and Gail Kerns. Please be praying for them!! If you would like to help out more, you may donate cookies and subway giflt cards for the trip. Please have these items to the church by Thursday, June 14th.
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Promotion Sunday – June 3, 2012
All of our kids will move up to the next class and we will recognize those who are changing departments. Following worship there will be a time of fellowship to celebrate the occasion.
Congratulations to our 2012 Graduates!
College: Michael Burton from University of Oregon and Aracely Gomez Bravo from George Fox University. High School: Zack Knorr & Jonathan Owings from Crater and Mitch Lesh & Marlon Campos from North Medford.
All Church Breakfast & Workday – Saturday, June 2nd, at 8 a.m.
Everyone is invited to this breakfast and workday. We have a variety of indoor and outdoor projects to be completed. Plan to come and share in the fellowship and work time.
Ladies Meetings in June:
FWMF (Friends Women Missionary Fellowship)
Our time together is spent in fellowship and learning about the work of our missionaries, their needs and the people to whom they minister. All ladies are welcome to join us at MFC, Thursday, June 21st, at 10 a.m. A buffet luncheon will follow the meeting.
Friends Women – All ladies are invited and welcome to join us for sharing & caring fellowship. We will meet Thursday, June 21, at 6 p.m. at MFC.
Baby Shower
Come celebrate with Amanda Matheisen in the anticipation of the arrival of her baby boy! Thursday, June 21st in the fireside room we will have a baby shower for Amanda & her soon to arrive little son starting at 7 p.m. Amanda is registered at Target.
Helping Our Team Get to Mexico
A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has helped to meet the financial expenses of getting our team to Mexico to build a house for a family in need. We couldn’t do it without you! A picture of the family we will build a house for this year is on the table in the foyer. Our team will be leaving on June 16th and will return on June 24th. This year’s team: Dave Gomez, Nate Swift, Ruthie Scott, Raymond Jarrett, Marlon Campos, Kyley Drake, Auston Chaney, Nicolas Salas, Christian Sicairos and Bob & Gail Kerns. Please be praying for them.
One more way you can help our team is by providing cookies and Subway gift cards for the trip. If you would like to help in this way please have your cookies and gift cards to the church by Thursday, June 14.
Twin Rocks Friends Camp to save $30; please pre-register!
If you participated in the camp auction, contact the church office to get your scholarship refund. Each camper is asked to contribute $20, to help cover the transportation costs. Contact the church office to confirm that your camper will be traveling via MFC’s transportation. Registering for camp is made easy by going to www.twinrocks.org.
Girls Camp – July 1st – 6th – cost $257 if pre-registered by June 15
For girls entering 4th – 6th grades next fall
Tween Camp – July 8th – 14th – cost $279 if pre-registered by June 22
For youth entering 7th – 9th grades next fall
Boys Camp – July 15th – 20th – cost $257 if pre-registered by June 29
For boys entering 4th – 6th grades next fall
Surfside Camp – August 5th – 11th – cost $279 if preregistered by July 20
For youth completing 8th – 12th grades next fall
Yearly Meeting Sessions 2012 – July 22-26 – At George Fox University “Let Us Come Boldly!” Becky Ankeny, Northwest Yearly Meeting superintendent will be this year’s speaker. Mark your calendar for the above dates, registration is available @ www.nwfriends.org.
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Rock of Truth
In 1972 singer/song writer Jim Croce came out with a hit song entitled “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim.” The chorus went:
“You don’t tug on Superman’s cape
You don’t spit into the wind
You don’t pull the mask off that old Lone Ranger
And you don’t mess around with Jim”
After a recent experience I would add one more thing you don’t do; “you don’t spray window cleaner on a window with a vent underneath it while the furnace fan is running.” I know it’s not quite as catchy as Croce’s lyrics, but it’s just as true and the window cleaner blown back into my eyes is the proof.
In the days we live in a lot of things that were once considered truths to live by are no long accepted as truth. It seems like most everything is open to interpretation and the person or group with the most persistent and loudest argument gets to define truth for all. This makes for a society and culture that is built on ever shifting sand.
That got me to thinking, what is truth? That is the same question Pilate asked Jesus in John 18:38, when Jesus appeared before him during His trial. Although Jesus didn’t answer Pilate’s question at that time, He had answered it a few hours earlier as he met with His disciples as we read in John 14:6, where He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
The Greek word that is translated truth in both Pilate’s question and Jesus’ statement is defined as “the reality lying at the basis of an appearance; the manifested, veritable essence of a matter.” While human debate may continue to redefine what we think we know to be true, Jesus will never change and we can trust that as we know Jesus we know truth. Which also means that the better we know Jesus the better we understand what is true.
As we base our lives, choices and decisions on Jesus the truth, we don’t have to worry about the winds of question, doubt and redefinition that swirl around us and in our culture. Instead, we can firmly place our feet on the Rock of Truth where we never slip and can never be shaken.
This is a process and a life-long journey for sure, but if we live committed to Jesus and continue growing in our knowledge of Him and in our relationship with Him, we can live in the truth that sets and keeps us free (John 8:32).
God’s Grace and Peace,
Mark
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