Contents:

• Intro
• Youth Group Update
• Youth Coffee Meetings
• Announcements

Hey all,

Crazy times! So the powers-that-be let me preach this last week. Needless to say, that has somewhat consumed my life this last week or two. I hope that it blessed you all. Not because I am anything to wave a stick at, but because God speaks to us through the whole of the worship service.

Here is a challenge to our thinking about what it means to 'do' church.

We, myself included here, have a perspective of the Sunday morning church service which is informed more by Hollywood than by the Bible. Do we have a Nirvana-inspired view of worship? In their smash hit of 1991 Nirvana's song Smells Like Teen Spirit had a line which reads:

With the lights out, it's less dangerous
    Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
    Here we are now entertain us

How often to we step into the building on a Sunday morning asking 'I wonder what I will get out of church today?' And how often do we leave, evaluating the service by how either amped up we are, convicted we are, or other subjective understanding of the morning's activities?

What if the judgment of a Sunday was based more on whether or not the words we spoke/sang, the words others spoke/sang, the movements into and out of prayer, and perhaps the experiencing of communion brought honor and glory to God? What if the whole complex of things we do on a Sunday morning was what we mean by 'worship,' rather than simply the portion of the morning spent singing? What if the climax of the service was not the sermon, but the benediction given to us, empowering us to leave that place and be a cause of God's kingdom becoming more real and present in our lives and in our community?

I don't want to discount our feeling and emotions. Far from it. God's Spirit works in and through our emotions to strengthen, convict, and move us into deeper areas of the faith. But what I do mean to do is push back against a consumer mindset that we have unwittingly adopted. Church is not about me. It is not about you. It is about Us. Our meetings and moving with God. If that seems contradictory I would encourage you to think about the difference between 'me' and 'we.' God is at work through his community of faith. He is at work in us, making us more like his Son Jesus. And he is at work through us to share Jesus' love and life with the world around us.

How would next Sunday look different if we believed this? How might we 'worship' differently?


Youth Group Update

• SH YG

  This week we put into practice what we have been learning about prayer. It seems a little odd to only talk about prayer and not actually spend an evening doing it. I hope that all you who were there were stretched, blessed, and will take seriously the challenge put before you: if you were to be more of a 'pray-er' how might your life be different?

• JH YG

  How cool is it that we get to hear stories about what God is doing around the world?! Thank you all for being awesome for Josh as he led you guys last night. He had only the highest praises to say about you. I hope, also, that you might think more about God's work outside of our own community and our own country. He is a big God and this is a big world. How might you possibly be a part of God's work around the world, even now while you are young?

Youth Coffee Meeting

Parents, I would love for you to have it as a goal to make it to one of these meetings. Youth ministry is not something that is down outside the bounds of your parenting your children. Youth ministry is a help and support. But in order for it to be so to the fullest I need to know what's on your heart and in your head.

Reminder that this Thursday at Bruce and Laura Parrott's house (20 King Henry Dr) from 7-8:30pm there will be an informal gather to chat about youth ministry, life, ideas, etc. Please RSVP to both graham@orchardnh.org and parrottbw@aol.com. I need RSVP's by Wednesday 12noon because as it stands right now there are too few currently signed up to run the meeting. If I receive too many RSVP's it is first come/first served. I will then let you know about other great chances to get together to do the same thing in the near future. An email will be sent out Wednesday afternoon as to whether or not the meeting will be going on.

Announcements

• The “Does God Exist?” Bible Study will meet this Wednesday from 7:00-8:30.  If you have missed the first few and still want to come, you are welcome!  We’ll get you caught up.
• Mrs. Calawa is looking for 2 students to do a Rent-a-student job on Sunday, April 25 from 12:30-4:30.  This is a raking/yard clean up job.  Please email Mrs. Calawa at calawa@myfairpoint.net if you want to work.  You will earn $50 toward your student account.
• The next Food, Fun and Fundraiser at Juliano’s will be on Monday, May 3 from 5:00-8:00.  Mention the Orchard when you order and 20% of the proceeds go toward Youth Ministry.  Good on eat-in or carry-out.

It's a joy to serve you all. May God bless your week!

inHim,

Graham