Soul Community

We’ve been talking a lot about the soul lately.  We are learning that the soul is not a small part of our life but the essence of our being.  Our soul is everything about us that is not flesh.  C. S. Lewis has reminded us again: “You don’t have a soul.  You are a soul.”

In recent weeks we have talked about our soul purpose, soul salvation, soul mates, soul freedom, soul departure, and “the dark night of the soul.”  This Sunday we wrap up our series on Soul Purpose, by talking about the importance of being a part of a “Soul Community”(Acts 2:42-47).

God doesn’t save us to establish our own independent spiritual enterprise. Rather God saves us into a spiritual family, the body of Christ.  This soul community is called the church.  This community becomes central to our spiritual growth and vitality.  It is the core family in which we are discipled and from which we launch into mission and ministry.

This Sunday we are also meeting together in one service.  Bible study groups meet at 9 a.m. and worship begins in the sanctuary at 10:30.  Just prior to the beginning of worship, we will take a few brief moments to vote on our 2011-2012 Church Budget, and to hear a few ministry highlights from the past year.  During worship we will be re-affirming what it means to be a part of our soul community at FBC Pensacola.

On Sunday afternoon we will celebrate the spirit of community with our annual Church Picnic at Bayview Park beginning at 3:30.  This is a great day to bring a friend…to worship and to the picnic…and introduce them to community life at FBCP.

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday in worship and Bible study as we continue to discover more about our soul purpose. 

Our Doors Are Open!

What would happen if every church member invited someone to go to church with them this Sunday? A 2008 study by LifeWay Research and the North American Mission Board of 15,000 adults found that 67 percent of Americans say a personal invitation from a family member would be effective in getting them to visit a church. Sixty-three percent say an invitation from a friend or neighbor would likely get them to respond.

This Sunday September 18 is National Back to Church Sunday, a great time to invite friends and neighbors who have become disconnected from their church family to come to church with you.  It’s also a great opportunity for Sunday School teachers and members to personally contact those on their class rolls who have not been to Bible study in a while. 

Through the years I have learned that people disengage from church for a variety of reasons, sometimes intentionally and at other times, unintentionally.  Whatever the reason, it is not our responsibility to judge them, but to lovingly reconnect with them. 

Who can you invite to come to church with you on Back to Church Sunday? (Watch video at http://www.fbcp.org/Uploaded/11-Summer-Video.swf )

In worship this Sunday morning, as we continue our Soul Purpose series, we will be focused on Mark:34-37 as we talk about “Soul Departure.” As you read this passage of scripture in advance, think about how we can live in a way that prepares us for our final departure from this world and our entrance into heaven.

Our Committee on Placement is working to place new members on our committees and ministry teams for the coming year.  Don’t forget to submit your Ministry Volunteer Form indicating the place where you feel gifted or passionate about serving. 

Also, our Deacon Nominating Committee will be receiving your nominations for those you wish to serve as Deacon during the coming year.  I am excited about the upgraded involvement of our deacons in assisting the pastor with ministry projects and in serving as catalysts for ministry within our congregation.  I encourage you to prayerfully nominate persons who have a heart for ministry and who are faithfully engaged in the life of our church.

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday in worship and Bible study as we continue learning more about our soul purpose.  Invite a friend or neighbor to join you.  Our doors are open!

A Day That Haunts, A Faith That Hopes

A Pastoral Prayer for September 11, 2011

On this tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001

We gather to remember an atrocious day, a day that we wish we could forget.

O God we confess our ongoing need of your transformative and emerging grace

For we are all too mindful that this date still haunts us

With memories that strike fear

And with emotions that convey pain.

As we attempt to apply your words to life,  

And to live by faith as we embrace your promise of a better future

We confess that our anger and grief from that fretful day are not nearly resolved.

            And that retaliatory impulses of vengeance and hate incubate deep within.

And yet we acknowledge that our hurt does not compare to the pain

of those who were touched more directly

through the unexpected and unfair loss

of family members, friends, and co-workers.

We shudder at the memory of horrific images of death and destruction,

We worry over the ongoing armed conflict that seems to be unending,

We grieve over the deaths of the sons and daughters of our nation,

   As well as the subsequent casualties among our allies and our adversaries.

And we long for a civilized and lasting resolution

   So that our sons and daughters may return home safely and soon

   And that those who have longed for liberation from tyranny

            Might govern and be governed with dignity and integrity.

Rather than being consumed by our grief,

            And controlled by our fears

And constrained by our anxieties,

    Let us set our minds to addressing the injustices that precipitate hostility,

    Let us direct our souls to living out our moral conviction,

    Let us turn our hearts to loving the poor,

and the disadvantaged,

and the disenfranchised.

    And let us determine to fight terror,

            Not with our own terroristic threats,

       But with a responsible and courageous exercise of freedom,

            And with a proactive and authentic faith.

 And though it runs counter to our deepest instincts,

You continue to teach us to love our enemies,

so that we do not become like them.

Today, especially today, we pray for the leaders of our nation and our world

            For the leaders of our state and our community

  To act and react with wisdom and discernment,

And to maintain a disposition that will defuse conflict

And advance the cause of peace.

And we pray for the leaders of our churches and synagogues

            And for people of diverse faiths

  To act and react with transformative grace and eternal hope,

           And to maintain a disposition that will dispel propaganda

            And advance the cause of truth and compassion.

We offer our prayer in the strong name of the One who came to bring peace on earth and goodwill to all humankind.  Amen

Happy Birthday to Roger Yonker!

Our most senior church member will turn 100 years old this Sunday, September 11.  Happy birthday, Roger Yonker!  You are both an example and an inspiration.  You are a living example of what it means to be a follower of Christ.  And you are an inspiration in the way that you have served the Lord with gentleness and grace.

In other news, welcome Meagan Scott to our staff team as the Children’s Ministry Assistant.  Meagan will be providing support for our Children’s Ministry and for our Pre-School.   Also pray for Meagan’s fiance’, Joe Clavel, who is currently deployed with the Army National Guard.  Meagan and Joe will be getting married in November.  Also pray for Meagan, who will have a little heavier load of responsibility during the interim period between Children’s Ministers.  Welcome to our team, Meagan!

I am also pleased to share with you that John Wise will be serving as our pastoral intern this fall.  John is a member of our church family and has served as a student ministries intern in the past.  In preparation for future ministry, John has completed a bachelors degree at the Baptist College of Florida and a masters degree from Liberty University. John will be a great addition to our staff team and we believe that his experiences with us will better prepare him for future opportunities.  Welcome aboard, John!

In worship this Sunday morning, as we continue our Soul Purpose series, we will be focused on I Peter 1:3-9 as we talk about “Soul Salvation.” As you read this passage of scripture in advance, think about how God is at work in Christ to save us from sinful and trivial pursuits to a life of meaning and eternal significance.

On Sunday evening we will meet in Pleitz Chapel at six o’clock for Story, Song, and Prayer: A Commemorative Vespers Service on September 11, 2001.  Our own Bob Kashur, Frank Rush, Bill Santo, and Scott Grettum will be sharing brief testimonies and stories about their experiences from 9/11.  Be welcomed to invite friends to join you for this inspirational evening of story, song, and prayer.

Sunday September 18 is National Back to Church Sunday, a great time to invite friends and neighbors who have become disconnected from their church family to come to church with you.  It’s also a great opportunity for Sunday School teachers and members to personally contact those on their class rolls who have not been to Bible study in a while.  Who can you invite to come to church with you on Back to Church Sunday? (Watch video at http://www.fbcp.org/Uploaded/11-Summer-Video.swf )

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday in worship and Bible study as we continue learning more about our soul purpose.

Wednesday Nights Are Good for the Soul

Wednesday nights at First Baptist are good for the soul.  As our student groups have been meeting off campus for Bible study and recreational activities, in Chipley Hall our adults have enjoyed a diverse schedule of inspirational music, devotional messages, and mission reports.

Next Wednesday September 7 we resume our full program of multi-generational activities on Wednesday night.  Our children’s choirs, AWANA groups, and student groups are meeting on campus. Our Midweek Gathering for adults begins each week in Chipley Hall after dinner at approximately 5:45.     

This fall we have a great schedule of topics and programs scheduled for Wednesday nights. During a typical Midweek Gathering we share in a season of prayer for our church and our extended family members.  We enjoy inspirational music from a variety of groups and individuals.  And I share a relevant message aimed to equip and encourage us in our daily walk with Christ.

Wednesday night is also a great time to invite new friends and neighbors to get acquainted with our First Baptist Family.  The casual atmosphere, the good food, and the multi-generational activities provide a great format for introducing new folks to life at First Baptist.

Wednesday night is my favorite time of the week.  I think it is because the round tables and the relaxing atmosphere enable us to dig deeper into Christian faith and practice.  If you are not already a regular Wednesday participant, why don’t you come and join us, and you might discover that Wednesday nights are good for the soul. 

This Sunday we are exploring Deuteronomy 6:1-9 and Matthew 22:36-38 as we talk about Discovering Your Soul Purpose.  I look forward to seeing you this Sunday as we gather for worship and Bible study.