Many awakened this morning to news of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that swept across Japan. The ever widening waves touched many other nations including Hawaii and the west coast of our own nation. The rush of tidal waters scattered cars, trucks, boats, homes and other buildings. A nuclear reactor's cooling safeguards have failed and the plant warms dangerously. The death toll rises as does the number of those missing.

In your Lenten prayers, remember those in Japan and neighboring nations. In your response, consider a special gift to Week of Compassion designated for Japan. Of designated gifts 100% will go to relief and development as needed. In your worship, thank God for a love that stretches across seas, and embraces those who grieve loss today.

An icon, in Greek, is "image" or religious painting in the tradition of Eastern Christianity. Images often include Mary and Jesus, Joseph, Saints, significant events and biblical stories. Over the years I have seen icons in museums. While I appreciated the art, I failed to appreciate the significance of the images in the deep faith of many Christians around the world.

Nine years ago I attended a Russian Orthodox worship service in Sarajevo, Boznia-Herzogovenia. Inside were a number of icons. A few years ago, at a Faith and Writing Conference, I attended a seminar on the meaning of these religious works of art and faith. My appreciation deepened. Even more recently I read a book by the Archbishop of Cantebury Rowan Williams titled Ponder These Things. He writes of several icons depicting of the Virgin and her Child.

One of the most striking to me was that of The Mother of God of Vladimir, a 12th century icon in a Russian cathedral. In some references it is called the Theotokos meaning "God-bearer" or "birth-giver of God." In it the Christ child "embraces Mary, cheek to cheek, his arm encircles her neck, one foot is thrust towards us as if he is pushing himself up against her body with great energy, and his right hand grasps the corner of her veil..." What is comforting is the Christ child's eagerness to draw close to Mary, to you and to me.

May the peace and joy of be yours as Christ draws near.

A big thank you to our Disciples / Presbyterian youth (pictured here at earlier lock-in) who offered leadership at our Youth Sunday worship. Those guiding us in worship were: Emily Elder, Elliott McClure, Chet McClure, Taylor May, Kristine Medler, Will Provin, Nick Retherford, Amy Ricks, David Ricks, and Erin Tabor.

Later this month on September 26th the youth of American Lutheran, First Christian, First Presbyterian and United Methodist are invited to share in a cookout and fellowship at the Taylor's home.

This is the beginning of a new fellowship for youth among the four congregations. Plans are being developed for one event each month to include outings for fellowship, worship and service.

Church school begins on September 12th with an Opening Assembly at 9:00 am. We will introduce our mission project, sing new songs, and introduce classes and teachers. Children and youth from First Presbyterian Church will join with us this year. Adults will study "Practicing Our Faith" edited by Dorothy Bass.

Another new ministry this Fall will be Welcome Table Wednesdays. Each Wednesday we will gather for a brief meal at 6:00 pm / worship at 6:30 pm / and activities at 7:00 pm. The activities change each week and may include - choir, Disciples Women's Fellowship, hand chimes, videos, discussions, and more.

In Outreach and Service we continue receiving items for school kits to be distributed through Church World Service. Items needed include: round-tipped metal scissors, 70-count spiral notebooks, 12 inch ruler, hand-held pencil sharpeners, large erasers, pencils with erasers, box of 24 crayons.

And one more thing... We will be sharing in a small group study and fellowship with area congregations in exploring "Unbinding the Gospel."

Come and see what God is doing with us.

This has been a wonderful season to gather the Busy Hands Pre-School children to the front entrance and invite them to tell what they see in the second of our two stained glass windows - "The Sower." Mark 4:1-20

They have taken notice of the bright colors. First, the waves of browns and greens representing the soil. They note that area fields feature similar lines as soil preparation and planting has begun. The bright blue sky and birds above. The sower, strides across the ground with the deep green bag of seed hanging at his side. Some see him as a farmer. Others are certain it is God or Jesus. Not one seed, but a handful are scattered across the ground. The sower is generous, even extravagant.

Unable to wait for harvest season, we step outside and take in what God has already made to grow - spring trees are full of purple and white blossoms; grass stretches out like a rich green carpet with a few yellow dandelions; tulips show themselves; and rosebushes wait to reveal their beauty. And there is so much more as we lift our eyes to the neighborhood.
God has already been generous, extravagant!

The children return to the classroom where they will imitate God in planting seeds, in showing generosity.

Two new stained glass images offer hospitality to those who enter the church building at the front entrance. They also serve as a reminder to the congregation as we leave worship and go out into the world to be the church. These works of art were possible because of the generosity of families and friends who remembered the congregation's ministry through the Memorial Fund.

Each of the images are a witness to a foundational belief of the congregation. On the west side of the entrance is an image of the loves and fish recalling the "feeding of the 5,000" found in each of the gospels. The basket of bread and brilliant blue fish are a testimony to "God's enough" among us. We remember that Jesus received the bread and fish, blessed them, broke them and shared them. There was enough for all - with some left over.

God has provided enough for our ministry here in Gibson City, across the surrounding area, throughout our nation and around the world.

The version of the "feeding of the 5,000" in Mark 6 is my favorite. I like the part in which Jesus turns to his disciples who have just questioned where they will find enough food for everyone. Jesus says, "Go and see." Go and see what God has done and is doing, has and is providing.

Mother Teresa said, "If you can't feed one hundred people, then feed one."

Where have you experienced God's abundance at and through First Christian Church?

Mark Twain wrote a book called, "The Diary of Adam and Eve." Both Adam and Eve make entries into their daily journal as they discover the garden and all that fills it. One of the final entries by Adam finds him at the graveside of Eve. His blessing over her is simply, "Wheresoever she was, there was Eden."

Several times recently I have been reminded that it could well be said of Jesus Christ that "wheresoever he is, there is enough." Call to mind a parable or biblical story of an encounter with Jesus...

The Feeding of the Five Thousand - a few loves and fishes become enough
The Great Dinner - through all the excuses there is enough for the poor, crippled, blind, lame
Peter and Andrew Fishing - one more try was enough
The Widow - her mite was enough
The Woman with the Hemorrhage - her faith, Jesus' touch was enough
Blind Bartimaeus - a persistent faith, Jesus' attention was again enough
The Rich Young Ruler - though he went away sad, Jesus' invitation was enough
The Cross - even there God's love was enough

Farmers in central Illinois, waiting out another harvest-delaying-rain must wonder if there is enough time. Those who are unemployed or finding unemployment benefits coming to an end must wonder if there is enough work. An area family receiving the body of their son killed in Afghanistan must wonder if there is enough comfort and meaning.

God's enough in Jesus Christ is not a casual confession of faith, but a life-long witness lived one day at a time. Thank you for sharing the journey of God's enough.

There is a book, "Unbinding the Gospel" that I am excited about our congregation exploring this Fall. Actually, it is the content of the book - a focus on evangelism - that is exciting.

Last evening I visited with a congregation in Galesburg, Illinois. As I was early for the meeting I walked the halls, read bulletin boards, sat a moment in the beautiful sanctuary. I noticed that they had a large number photographs of smiling folks with their name and "confessions of faith" written below. They were mostly dated the spring of this year. One of the members enthusiastically told me that they had studied "Unbinding the Gospel" and that they had found new and meaningful ways to invite persons to Christ and into the life and witness of the congregation. She spoke of a man who would park his car at the corner of the church parking lot. Someone teasingly said, "If you park there you have to come to church here." So he did. Later his wife came. No one had ever invited him before. Everyday evangelism.

The opening to the book, by Gay Reece, has a quotation from Eugene Peterson, the author of The Message, a paraphrase of the Bible. He wrote:

Most of us, most of the time, feel left out-misfits. We don't belong...One of the ways we have of responding to this is to form our own club, or join one that will have us. Here is at least one place where we are "in" and others are "out"....The terrible price we pay for keeping all those other people out so that we can savor the sweetness of being insiders is a reduction of reality, a shrinkage of life....As Luke tells the story, all of us who have found ourselves on the outside looking in on life with no hope of gaining entrance (and who of us hasn't felt it?) now find the doors wide open, found and welcomed by God in Jesus.

To tell you the truth, I have never felt like we are a closed congregation, that we are cautious of who we let into the fellowship of First Christian Church. But, to tell more truth, I am not sure I am the best judge of that. I wonder if some have come and felt there was no place for them, for their worship of God.

Maybe what we can do best is make sure that the doors are opened wide, that in daily life we act and speak as a people who have been found by God, that we reach out as a people who know God's welcome in Christ. Let's find new ways.