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"I'm Supposed to *What*?!"
One Worship Sunday - 11:00 a.m. On more Sundays than not, the weekly sermon in most congregations will be based on the Gospel Lectionary text. This Sunday, the Gospel text is Luke 14:25-33 - which is a prickly text that will make a lot of preachers double-check the other Lectionary texts for the day, to see if they might preach on one of them, instead of this one: Now large crowds were traveling with [Jesus]; and he turned and said to them, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.(NRSV) Yeah, so now you see why preachers might want to shy away from this one. Honestly, from the standpoint of preaching, this Sunday's Old Testament text from Jeremiah is a nice slow pitch right over the plate that a number of really good sermons could be, and have been, given. But far be it from us to take the easy path (at least this Sunday; I reserve the right to do so on other days ;) ) - we're still going to look at the gospel text this week. Jesus' words here are stark - harsh, even. When we read these words and imagine Jesus saying this to his followers all of this, we can end up feeling a bit like Joe Pesce in the film "My Cousin Vinnie" (click the picture below): We can imagine the apostle Peter cringing and pulling Jesus aside, as he did in another instance, warning him that his words were a bit to "out there" and could hurt the brand, as it were - you just don't say these kinds of things if you want to retain and grow membership in the movement. So really, what is going on here? Jesus is talking a lot here about sacrifice, realigning one's priorities to put following him, and living as people of the Kingdom of God, ahead of everything - even to the point, as he put it of "hating" even the most beloved people or things in our lives. What do you think about this passage? Clearly, most people would say that Jesus is using hyperbole, using extreme language to make a more general point. But it's just as clear that many times, in an attempt to make this story more palatable to us, we can go too far in the opposite direction over-softening Jesus' words and in the process, tossing out an important part of his teaching. The one thing that this text is guaranteed to do is to make all of us focus on our own personal priorities in life, and how and where our faith fits into those priorities. I know I'll be doing the same as the sermon comes together. Hope to see you Sunday. Music This Week: (please follow the links provided to hear these if you aren't familiar with them) One Service - 11:00 Gathering Hymn # 743 O God, You Are My God (Step by Step) Opening Hymn # 721 Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore Response Hymn # 363 Rejoice, the Lord is King! (Stanzas 1 and 3) Sermon Hymn #726 Will You Come and Follow Me (The Summons) (Stanzas 1, 2, & 5) Offering Music ((Adult Choir & Praise Team) Grace Alone Communion Hymn #536 Rise, O Church, Like Christ Arisen Closing Hymn # 853 We Are Marching in the Light of God (Siyahamba) Sending Hymn # 700 I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me Assisting in Worship This Week: Liturgist Cathy Longstreet Welcome Desk Ed Shadburne Greeters Leslie Carmichael, Sandy Gillespie Ushers Eddie & Judy Riddle (11:00) Audio Tim Hagan Video Jane Jones Communion Prep Marilyn Neel, Mary Pace Communion Servers Team 1: Angela Nickels, Greg Nickels, Wendy Mullins, Bruce Bunger*, Dale Darby*, Rebecca Ratliff, Loren Hincker, Shannon Swartzentruber (* Choir servers) Coffee Host Sandy Sterrett Flowers Given to the glory of God by Dick and Doris Trautwein, in loving memory of her daughter, Rebecca Dalton. Announcements Communion Sunday As is typical for the first Sunday of the month, this Sunday we'll celebrate the Lord's Supper. In our tradition, participation in this sacrament is open to all who trust in the name of Jesus Christ, regardless of church membership or denominational/traditional affiliation, and regardless of whether you have questions, doubts, or uncertainties in your faith. This is the Lord's Table, not ours, and you are welcome to it. At the 11 a.m. service our practice is to hold the bread and cup until all have been served. We will then eat and drink together to symbolize our unity in Jesus Christ. Please help one another pass the trays. If you would like to partake from a larger cup or receive gluten-free bread, please motion to the server with the large cup. Spiritual Nurture This Sunday (and beyond)
Habitat for Humanity Work Day Springdale has begged for another Saturday work day at the Presbyterian Habitat House, and now we have one - Saturday, September 17th. The home is located at 1023 S. Hancock Street. Painting and finishing the siding will likely be two of the main chores for our work day, but we need volunteers, both to work on the house and to provide lunch! If you'd like to be part of this fantastic form of service to others in Christ's name, contact Andy Martin ([email protected]) or Mark Hebert ([email protected]) Pastor Meet & Greets Want some face time with the new pastor the old-fashioned way - with people actually sitting together and talking instead of gazing at Facebook or Twitter? Great! Sign-up in the gathering area for one of the Meet-n-Greets scheduled in the homes of church members on Sunday afternoons this Fall from 2:00-3:30. The groups will be small - no more than 12 people - and will be a wonderful opportunity to chat, laugh, and share our stories together. If/when the slots are all filled, we WILL arrange more opportunities to meet the demand. New Pastor Installation Service Please mark your calendars and plan to attend a special Installation service, when I (Dwain) will be officially "installed" as our new pastor. This will take place on Sunday, September 18th, at 2:00. Please note the revised date! Follies Will Be Here Soon This year, Follies is scheduled for Sunday, October 9 at 7pm - and we need your help! This year's theme is "Through the Decades at Springdale". Everyone, young, old, and in-between, is invited to be part of this fun annual variety show. Suggestions for acts would be skits, songs, or funny stories from Springdale or the broader Louisville community - use your imagination! Important dates to note: Thursday-9/22 at 12 p.m. Deadline for entries - see below Sunday-9/25 at 12:15 p.m.: Planning meeting for Follies-put the program together! Saturday-10/8 from 10 a.m. to Noon: Follies rehearsal Sunday-10/9 at 7 p.m.: Follies - Yay!!! Come on, Springdale, let's see your talent, whatever that might be! The deadline for signing up is Thursday-9/22 at 12 p.m. Please contact Denise Whittington at [email protected] to sign up. Online, Direct Deposit, and Online/Mobile Giving Options for financially supporting the church other than dropping something into the traditional offering plate are quickly becoming the norm for many people. In order to make your stewardship efforts as easy as possible, Springdale offers online giving on our website and automatic transfer of funds. For an authorization form or information, contact the church office - 425-1760. An even easier option is to simply set up a regularly scheduled automatic payment to the church, as you might do for your cable/internet service or other recurring charges, through your bank's online/mobile banking feature. Food Pantry Donations Springdale is glad to be a supporter of the Portland Avenue Presbyterian Church's Food Pantry. Look for the shopping cart in our Gathering Space, which is where we collect items to contribute. Currently, there is a need for: canned fruit/vegetables, peanut butter, tuna, cereal, rice, or macaroni and cheese; and personal items such as shampoo, toothpaste, dish soap, deodorant, laundry soap, DIAPERS, etc. Also needed: clothing for children and men, and especially linens and bath towels. We hope you'll be a part of this important part of our mission efforts. Blood Drive Rescheduled Please note the new time and date of the American Red Cross Blood Drive. If you are age 17 or older, 110 lbs. in good health, and meet several other guidelines, please plan to give blood on Sunday, September 25, from 9:30 AM - 1:30 PM. The Easiest Way to Support Our Youth Ever! Kroger shoppers - and you know who you are - did you know that your regular shopping can help support our PYC? it can, and it could hardly be any easier. Simply go to www.kroger.com/communityrewards and create an account. Then, register your Kroger Plus card and follow the easy instructions to register the Springdale Presbyterian Youth Group to your card - our group/organization number is 10257. And that's it - from that time on, any time you make Kroger purchases (except for postage stamps, gift cards, lottery tickets, gasoline, alcohol, or tobacco products) reward points will be credited to our account. The number of those points will then be used to calculate a quarterly contribution to the group. How easy, and cool, is that? Let's all get our cards registered and make use of this really good program. Recycle Your Old Eyeglasses Get a new eyeglass prescription lately? Remember that you can donate those old glasses that don't work for you, and get them in the hands of someone that they'd be perfect for. Look for the box in our Gathering Area where you can drop off your old glasses, and help give the gift of improved eyesight to someone in need. Food Truck Fridays! What a neat idea! Our friends at Harvey Brown Presbyterian, 311 Brown's Lane, are currently holding monthly events called Food Truck Fridays. The final two for the year will be September 16 and October 21. Food from six or more food trucks, beer, soft drinks, and live music are available from 6-9pm. If you've got some spare time on those dates, you might want to swing by and check it out. Springdale Calendar This Week Sunday, September 4 * 10:00 a.m. Spiritual Nurture time - Issues Class * 11:00 a.m. Worship No PYC Monday, September 5 Office closed - Labor Day Tuesday, September 6 * 5:30 p.m. Growth Ministry Team * 7:00 p.m. Praise Team Wednesday, September 7 * 12:00 p.m. PW Day Circle * 7:00 p.m. Adult choir Thursday, September 8 * 6:00 p.m. Communication * 7:00 p.m. Mission Friday, September 9 * 6:30 p.m. Bridge group Sunday, September 11 * 9:00 a.m. Worship * 10:00 a.m. Spiritual Nurture * 11:00 a.m. Worship * 12:15 p.m. PYC Copyright © 2016 Springdale Presbyterian Church, All rights reserved. We send this weekly email to members, friends, and mission partners of Springdale, as well as others who may be interested in what our church is up to. We hope that this information is interesting and helpful to you. Our mailing address is: Springdale Presbyterian Church 7812 Brownsboro Road Louisville, Ky 40241 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list
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