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Pastor’s Message
The Gospel of John describes Jesus was the “Word made flesh.” John was using a concept from Greek philosophy, and
by this concept was saying that Jesus was the character, the very essence, of God. Along with so much else this
means that when Jesus says something in the Gospels we ought to pay very close attention to it. For instance, Jesus
told Nicodemus that we must be born again. That was confusing to Nicodemus, and, frankly, it ought to be confusing
to us. It doesn’t seem all that confusing to us because it has been simplified so severely. These days being born again
has come to mean a simple yes-or-no answer to a simple question. “Do you believe Jesus was the Son of God?” “Well,
yeah, I guess so.” “OK, great! You’re born again.” Jesus was talking about much more than something like that.
In the Bibles in the sanctuary of Firelands Presbyterian Church Jesus does not say we must he born AGAIN. He says
we must be born FROM ABOVE. By that he means we must undergo a spiritual birth just as we have undergone a
physical birth. That is a problem because it does not reduce itself to a simple formula like correctly answering a
question or two. Actually, the whole matter of a spiritual birth may be different for each one of us. Some of us may be
prepared for it while we are quite young. Others of us may need most of a lifetime before we are ready for it to
happen. For some it may happen in an instant and for others it may come at the end of a long process of growth and
development.
Perhaps the best example of new birth I know of doesn’t come from the New Testament but from the Old, from the
story of Job. In Job’s times it was thought if someone was a good person they would be rewarded with blessings here
and now. Job was a good man and was greatly blessed. Suddenly, though, the blessings disappeared. Job’s friends
went to him and said, “Look, Job, clearly you’re not as good as you thought, otherwise you’d still be blessed.” Job
replied that he had kept his end of the bargain, that it was God who had not come though. God then shows up in
story, apparently quite angry. God speaks out of the whirlwind and says, “Where were you when I created the world?”
God then spends four chapters pointing out God’s great works in the world and the universe, and Job is humbled. He
says, “My ears had heard of you. Now my eyes see you. Therefore I repent in dust and ashes.”
Job moved from a faith of the ears to a faith of the eyes. He moved from a second hand religion, one he had heard
about from others, to a firsthand religion, his own, the result of what he himself had seen. Job had been born from
above. It is what Jesus said we must all experience.
I wish I could say, “Here’s how you get it,” but if I did I would be trying to turn it into another spiritual formula, none
of which works for everyone. What I can say is that we must all look within and try to understand whether our faith is
second hand or first hand. Every one of us is in need of that rebirth from above. It is never “once and done” for any of
us. Let us all, like Job, humble ourselves and let God open our eyes and our heart and help us be “born from above.”
Mark
September 2018 Page 5
September Lectionary
September 2, 2018 Song of Solomon Deuteronomy 4:1-2, James 1:17-27 Mark 7:1-8, 14-
Fifteenth Sunday after 2:8-13 OR 6-9 OR 15, 21-23
Pentecost Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9 Psalm 15
September 9, 2018 Proverbs 22:1-2, 8- Isaiah 35:4-7a OR James 2:1-10, Mark 7:24-37
Sixteenth Sunday after 9, 22-23 OR Psalm 146 (11-13), 14-17
Pentecost Psalm 125
September 16, 2018 Proverbs 1:20-33 Isaiah 50:4-9a OR James 3:1-12 Mark 8:27-38
Seventeenth Sunday after OR Psalm 116:1-9
Pentecost Psalm 19 OR
Wisdom of Solomon
7:26 - 8:1
September 23, 2018 Proverbs 31:10-31 Wisdom of Solomon James 3:13 - 4:3, Mark 9:30-37
Eighteenth Sunday after OR 1:16-2:1, 12-22 7-8a
Pentecost Psalm 1 OR
Jeremiah 11:18-20
OR
Psalm 54
September 30, 2018 Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; Numbers 11:4-6, 10- James 5:13-20 Mark 9:38-50
Nineteenth Sunday after 9:20-22 OR 16, 24-29 OR
Pentecost Psalm 124 Psalm 19:7-14
September 2018 Page 6
Preschool News
It is hard to believe that summer is coming to an end and we start a new school year in
just a few days!
We spent the month of August preparing the room and getting it ready for our first day of
school which is September 4, 2018.
For the kids, August was all about playing! We spent most of our time playing outside and
soaking up the last days of summer. Although we are sad to see summer go, we are
looking forward to the start of a new year.
Rachel Johnson,
September Celebrations
Is your birthday or anniversary missing or incorrect? Contact the office so we can make the changes
to the list!
Debbie Ballinger, Jenatha Boose, Harold, Kim Hudson, Craig Kaiser, Arlene Kakareka, Stephen Kessler, Angjuli
Lele, John McLaughlin, Ele McLaughlin, Simon Mercurio, Michael, Jordan Moore, John Rick, Sarah, Sue, Jack
Schmidt, Justin Waugh, Ann Wagnitz.
June Gahris, Clara Maag, Shirley Ohles, Jamie Petty, Betty Rodwancy, Bob Rodwancy, and Irene Wilson
SMGT Jeff Bundy, Steven Coffin, FBI; Brant Crandall, USA; Cole Daniel, USCG; Matthew Devries, USAF;
Stu Gliwa, USMC; Aaron Haynes, USA; Andrew Hogue, USA, Ted Livingstine, USMC; Sanju Shinde, USMC;
To add or delete someone from this list, please contact Janine Dress in the church office.
September 2018 Page 8
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9:30 Worship Preschool Begins 10 Bible Study
11 AM Dr.
William Coon
Funeral
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
10:30 Worship 5 Free Community 9 Quilting at Wilsons 10 Bible Study 4-6 Bistro
Dinner @ Bistro163 10 Session Shrimp Boil
Community
Fundraiser
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
9:15Sunday 10 Bible Study Montgomery
School Wedding on
10:30 Worship Kelly’s
3:30 MAS Island
Concert Office Closed
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
9:15 Sunday Office Open 1-5 PM 9 Quilting at Wilsons 10 Bible Study
School
10:30 Worship
30
9:15 Sunday
School
10:30 Worship
11 Annual
Meeting and
Potluck
September 2018 Page 9
Ministry Names
Monthly Deacon of the Month Bob & Maxine Wilson
September Communion Steward Karen Shifflet
Sept. 2 Greeter(s) Ed & Shirley Carlson
Reader Dick Dietz
Communion Alison Falls
Assistant
Servers Bob Black, Bill Sharp, Dick Coffin, Dave Wahlers
Nursery Volunteer Ed Carlson
Pianist Susan Larcey
Sept. 9 Greeter(s) Shirley Tatlock & john Pugh
Reader Nila McCullough
Communion Karen Coffin
Assistant
Servers Mary Caracci, Joyce DellaSantina, Ernie McCullough, Alison
Falls
Nursery Volunteer Anne O’Malley
Pianist Kay McIntosh
Sept. 16 Greeter(s) Dick & Karen Dietz
Reader Susan Rogers
Communion Nila McCullough
Assistant
Servers Tim Flora, Sally Walter, Dave Moore, Bob Wilson
Nursery Volunteer Debbie Flora
Pianist Kay McIntosh
Sept. 23 Greeter(s) Dick & Karen Coffin
Reader Shirley Stary
Communion Ernie McCullough
Assistant
Servers Dick & Karen Coffin, Marsha Bordner, Maxine Wilson
Nursery Volunteer Nila McCullough
Pianist Susan Larcey
Sept. 30 Greeter(s) Jim & Betty Layton
Reader Ed Carlson
Communion Sally Walter
Assistant
Servers Dave Moore, Jim & Betty Layton, Dave Wahlers
Nursery Volunteer Janet Gray-Moore
Pianist Susan Larcey
September 2018 Page 10