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@Copyrighted by Rev. Dr. Troy Sybrant Sermon: “A Song of Grace” (Matthew 2: 1-12) Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020
Tag: meaning
Eagle Scout Project
Waypoints – Special Sermon Series
Open Minds, Open Hearts, Open Table
| When he was at table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning with us while he was opening the scriptures to us?” Luke 24:30-31
These two verses perfectly capture three key things we say about ourselves. We say we are a people of “open minds”—“their eyes were opened and they recognized him.” We say we are a people of “open hearts”—“were not our hearts burning within us?” We say we are a people of an “open table”—“when he was at table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.” Over the past year the leadership and congregation has been discussing the importance of community. We find its centrality in our denominational vision: “To be a faithful, growing church that demonstrates true community, deep Christian spirituality, and a passion for justice.” From our 2018 summer leadership retreat we journeyed together in our Voyager: Soundings & Bearings fall launch to talk about cultural storms and four responses that churches take, the new centered set imagination needed to navigate these storms, and the church’s process of forming crew and ordering behavior, belief, and belonging over the ages. This spring we touched again on the topic of community, discovering the fragmenting forces pulling us in different directions, the biblical images from the Hebrew Scriptures and New Testament to help us rebuild community, and how naming those systemic forces can help us repent and repair our communities. In May we talked about experiences of exclusion and inclusion and how they shape us (see pages 3-4 of this issue). These prior steps bring us to our immediate summer sermon mini-series, “Becoming Who We Are.” Focusing on the “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Table” slogan found on our outdoor sign, website, and business cards, we’ll be unpacking its meaning over the course of the next three weeks. We’ll discover how this phrase not only informs our understanding of who we are, but also forms us as a community. Because the leadership and I want to make this interactive, right after the message we’re going to take five minutes to gather your questions and insights. There will be a microphone for those who wish to speak and post its available as well. At the service’s conclusion we’ll have some light snacks and conversation, to share your insights, answer questions, and have a conversation. With VBS setup this Sunday in the sanctuary, the discussion will occur this week only in the modular. Hope to see you there!
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Calendar of Events
June
- 22 9:00 a.m. Queen City Kitchen
- 23 Teacher Recognition and
“Becoming Who We Are: Open – Minded”
Snacks, Questions & Answers and VBS Set Up - 25 – 28 Vacation Bible School 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
- 29 Work Day 9 a.m. — 3 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Movie Night
Come help us weed, trim trees, and take care of the property outside of our building. Contact Bill A. or Dave D. for details.
Inspired by the imagination of P. T. Barnum, The Greatest Showman is an original musical that celebrates the birth of show business & tells of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a spectacle that became a worldwide sensation.
- 30 VBS Volunteer Recognition and
“Becoming Who We Are: Open – Hearted”
Snacks, Questions & Answers
July
- 4 4th of July – Office Closed
July 4th Office Closed Due to the Holiday Week
While Elders & General Board will not meet at their regularly scheduled Tuesday meeting in July, we look forward to seeing them at the retreat. See you all at the Leadership Retreat.
7 “Becoming Who We Are: Open – Tabled”
On July 7th we will have a potluck lunch and discussion.
Per your last name, please bring items for the potluck.
Church will supply drinks.
- Wed. July 10 @ 7 p.m. First Friday Female Fellowship It will be at Troy’s Café in West Chester. RSVP to Alice W.
- July 11 @ Noon Pastor @ Panera Bread Note: Moved back one week due to Fourth of July.
- Thursday July 18 7:00 p.m. Summer Pops Concert Cincinnati Civic Orchestra @ Compass Christian Church
Favorite American Music such as Oklahoma, West Side Story, ET, Stars & Strips Forever and many more!
- Friday July 19. 10:30 tour, 11 program, 1:15 prayers Taste of Faiths @ Islamic Center
Caring Community Collaborative (C3) is hosting an event open to all at the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati. Representatives from different faith traditions will speak on what within their tradition motivates community service, what programs they’re currently doing, and where they see gaps & places of collaboration. Lunch will be provided
Register at Eventbrite: Taste of the Faiths Tickets
- Saturday, July 20th 9:00 a.m. –3 p.m.Leadership Retreat, Orientation & Training
We will gather onsite for a look ahead at the approaching year and offer an orientation & training session for our new leaders. Please keep your leadership in prayers as we plan for the year ahead.
- July 20-24 General Assembly Delegates
Our delegates are Dave Tietsort, Abbey Sybrant, Rev. Dr. Troy Sybrant. Thank you for holding them in your prayers as they travel to Iowa and vote on behalf of our congregation.
Resolutions for the General Assembly
Resolution to celebrate the formation of New Congregations and continue the collective commitment to make Disciples; Addressing the state of Global Forced Migration; Spirit of Active Listening; A call to see and respond to the Crisis of Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence; Creation of a new Region in Montana and the Northwest (change in regional boundaries); An invitation to education for Welcoming and Receiving the gifts of Transgender and Gender Diverse People; Resolution on full communion between the United Church of Canada and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada; Concerning the reopening of the US Embassy in Cuba, ending the US Embargo against the Island and promoting a constructive relation between both countries; Recommended language for prevention of harassment for General Ministries of the Christian Church; on Women and just Peacemaking/
For the full text & details go to:
https://ga.disciples.org/business/
- Tuesday July 30 Stepping Forward Dinner see Ed V. for details
Saturday, June 22 9:00 a.m. See Kurt F. to volunteer.
Queen City Kitchen News
Queen City Kitchens (QCK) continues to evaluate the OTR real estate market. The building they have has increased in value for a number of years. At some point, they will get an offer that they can’t refuse. When that happens, arrangements have been made for the operation to move to another OTR location with a commercial kitchen. QCK is the only organization offering weekend meals in the community and everyone agrees that it is important that we continue.
We have had several new people down to serve in the past few months and we appreciate all our volunteers. I hope all have gotten more than they have invested. I certainly do. I think most find this work very rewarding.
QCK is having a fundraising art auction
(Brunch and Brushes Art Auction)
on July 28 from 1 to 4 at the Dillard Center in Walnut Hills. The art has been donated by Joseph Scott Galleries. Tickets are $25 and include hors d’oeuvres, wine, cheese and a cash bar.
For additional information, you can call Margie at 961-1983 or go to Register for Special Event or find it on the QCK website.
All ticket sale receipts go to QCK. Thank you for your support!
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LaFWA Mission Group not pictured Lora B, Debbie Anderson who will be joining them from England. Our first International Mission Group!!
2018-2019 Leaders Thank you for your service and time devoted to CCC.
June 23rd – After Worship, set up Sanctuary for VBS, begin decorating. Lunch will be provided, bring a snack to share. Robot contest themes: Most enlightening, Most creative, Most out of this world. Rocket themes: Most colorful, Most creative, Most likely to get to Mars. Both are due on Sunday.
Monday, June 24th – 1:00-3:00 p.m. Put finishing touches on decorations to have everything ready to launch on Tuesday.
June Prayers
Local: For the poor to find resources to cool their homes, the homeless to find shelters, & for shelter workers.
Regional: For the Dayton area affected by tornadoes, for shelters and rebuilding homes & businesses.
Global: For ending Congo’s 10 month Ebola epidemic with help from the Ministry of Health, UN, & World Health Organization. One-third affected are children, a higher percentage than prior outbreaks.
Share this:
Call to Worship
L: We are strangers and foreigners upon this earth, seeking a homeland.
P: We are sailors and mariners upon the sea, seeking a distant shore.
L: There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God.
P: God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved.
L: For indeed we desire a better country, a heavenly one.
P: We look forward to the city prepared for us, whose architect and builder is God!
Scripture (Acts 27:1-2, 14, 20-24, 33-37)
Our reading comes from the Acts of the Apostles. We will read this together, meditating upon the words and images. Let us together speak, listen, and ponder God’s word.
1When it was decided that we were to sail for Italy, they transferred Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort, named Julius.
2Embarking on a ship of Adramyttium that was about to set sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica.
14But soon a violent wind, called the northeaster, rushed down from Crete.
20When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.
21Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul then stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and thereby avoided this damage and loss.
22I urge you now to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.
23For last night there stood by me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship,
24and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before the emperor; and indeed, God has granted safety to all those who are sailing with you.’
33Just before daybreak, Paul urged all of them to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have been in suspense and remaining without food, having eaten nothing.
34Therefore I urge you to take some food, for it will help you survive; for none of you will lose a hair from your heads.”
35After he had said this, he took bread; and giving thanks to God in the presence of all, he broke it and began to eat.
36Then all of them were encouraged and took food for themselves. 37(We were in all two hundred seventy-six persons in the ship.)
Here ends our reading. May God bless our understanding.
@Copyrighted by Rev. Dr. Troy Sybrant Sermon: Voyager Sound & Bearings #3 “Creating Camaraderie Among & Beyond the Crew” (Acts 27:1-2, 14, 20-24, 33-37) Sunday, September 23, 2018
Voyager Sound & Bearings #3
“Creating Camaraderie Among and Beyond the Crew”
Sermon Video: to view Sermon Slides click HERE
