etidings February 5 2008

Praying Our Way Through Lent

40 days of fasting and prayer. Traditionally, that is Lent, 40 days during which we prepare for the celebration of Easter. For generations, Christians have forgone food and committed themselves to extended times of prayer from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday morning. They did so because they realized that although Christ has come, the sacrifice has been completed for us and the resurrection accomplished; we are not yet home and not yet all God wants us to be. As we follow Christ, we seek to be like him, transformed by the work of God’s Spirit in us so that we imitate our Master in life and love. Lent is the time when we intentionally make space in our hearts and lives for the work of the Spirit in transforming and molding us into the image of Christ. We fast to clear our lives certainly of the unnecessary (as is the modern custom) and even of the necessary when it is a distraction to our devotion. And we pray. Prayer is the chief occupation of this time (as it should be all year long). But how do we pray? Maybe these familiar phrases from David’s psalm of repentance (51) will help.

Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Lent begins in the ashes of this Wednesday. We are to recognize that we are the created and not the Creator. We are to remember that we were formed of dust and shall return to it. We are to come face to face with our sin and weep and repent. So, we pray, “Create in me a clean heart. Cleanse me with hyssop and I will be clean, wash me and I will be whiter than snow.” We confess, seek forgiveness and fall upon the mercy of Christ.

Renew a right spirit within me.
Thus begins the journey. Lent is not a destination, but a journey we make toward the Cross and empty Tomb and toward what God created and calls us to be. So, we undertake the Lenten discipline of prayer and fasting to seek God above all else. We focus our mind’s attention and heart’s affection on God through worship and we train our bodies and spirits in the daily regimen of prayer and contemplation. Take up the Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis and let it guide you through this process as you open yourself to the renewal that only God can bring into your life. We pray the prayer of transformation as we open our hearts to God, “Renew a right Spirit within me.”

Restore to me the joy of your salvation.
The bitterness of the ashes, the strain of time spent on our knees, the yearning of the fasting all lead to one place: absolute joy. As we recognize our humanity and distance from God, the good news of the Crucifixion and Resurrection shock us to the new reality that, in Christ, there is joy beyond us and yet somehow for us. Graciously, each Sunday during Lent is a time of celebration when the discipline of the fast is set aside, to remind us that there is joy coming. Yet on Easter that joy overwhelms us as we are wrapped in the love, mercy, and grace that moment unleashed on the world. On Resurrection morning we pray the prayer of thanksgiving for all that God has done and will do through Jesus who is the Christ.

Let’s join our hearts together and pray our way through Lent.

Blessings,
Monty

Worship Ministry
The Cotton Patch Gospel—Feb. 22, 23, 24
A larger version of The Cotton Patch Gospel comes to our church later this month. This time we have a cast of seventeen singing along with a bluegrass band. With the improvements to our platform area through size, lighting, and sound, we can now add more interpretation to an already wonderful musical.

Help us get the word out to your friends and family. Flyers, posters, and tickets are available for you to distribute in the next few weeks.

Devotional Books Available
Ash Wednesday devotionals entitled, The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas à Kempis, are now available. Pick one up from the table outside the church office.

First Thursday Lunch
Join us for lunch on Thursday, February 7 at 12:00 noon in the Fellowship Hall. Claudia Oaks, from the Chieftain Museum, will be our guest speaker—following a Chick-Fil-A lunch.
We will have door prizes, good fellowship, lots of fun, and celebrate January and February birthdays.

First Quarterly Church Conference of 2008
6:15 PM, February 13 - Fellowship Hall
A recommendation from the Construction Oversight Committee concerning restoration and further enhancement of the Chapel will be included on the agenda.

Winter Festival Banquet
6:30 PM, February 28—SABC Fellowship Hall
Tickets are $15.00 and should be purchased by February 26. Catering by Duffy’s Deli. Entertainment by Apple Scraps. Dress is coat and tie. Adults only, please.

"Showtime in the Smokies"

Fun and Fellowship's annual trip to Pigeon Forge is April 14-16. See the first and second floor bulletin boards for details.

New SABC Cook Book Coming in the Spring
Men and Women, your recipes are needed by February 18, 2008.
Make a photo copy of your recipes or pick up a form in the church library. Make sure your name and phone number are on each recipe.Return recipes to the red box in the church library by February 18.
Sponsored by the Ladies’ Night Out Group to support the Second Century Campaign.

Ladies’ Night Out—6:00 PM
Second Monday each month.
Come for fellowship with longtime members, new members and visitors. Dinner provided. Group
focuses on prayer partners, service projects and workshops. Kids are welcome.

Congratulations
Congratulations to Al and Dorothy Turner on the birth of their grandson, Owen Brittain Turner, born January 19, 2008. Parents are Ben and Jessica Turner..

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Family Ministry
Community-Wide Easter Egg Hunt Saturday, March 22 from 10:00-11:30 AM
*For children birth-grade five *Meet in the parking lot. *Registration begins at 9:30 AM

Rescheduled Student Ministry Team Meeting/Luncheon
Sunday, February 17 following worship, in the Youth Suite.

“Adopt-a-Student”
Individuals/Sunday school classes: We invite you to get to know our spectacular college students by participating in our “Adopt-a-Student” program. We will help you get acquainted with a student and support you through an ongoing relationship that will be a blessing to both you and the student. Contact Charlie at 706-232-3663 or Charlie@sabcrome.com

Day of Prayer and Fasting
Sunday, February 10 will be a special Day of Prayer and Fasting to help us begin our observance of Lent. We will offer both an ongoing prayer vigil in the Chapel and a prayer walk for those who can participate.

The prayer vigil will focus on all of the written requests that are collected. Surely each one of us has people or other concerns upon our hearts for which we need to be joined in prayer. We can write those on the "Prayer Cards" and put them in the boxes by Sunday morning. And we can take several cards with us wherever we go this week, give them to neighbors and friends, and ask them to write their prayer requests which will be added to ours. They don't have to put their own names on the cards--God knows. Those cards will be placed in the Chapel and you may come and pray for those needs there.

The Prayer Walk will begin in the Chapel entrance where instructions will be left on a stand. Take the instruction sheet and follow it through our campus praying for the needs of the church as directed. You will be asked to pray for our upcoming presentation of The Cotton Patch Gospel, Holy Week Worship, Sunday School, our Ministry Teams, the Church Staff and others. The Church will be open from after worship until 6:00 PM for both activities.
Prayer Ministry Team

SABC is The Pasta Church
You may not know it, but that is what we are at least to the folks at the Rome Action Ministry Crisis Food Pantry. We are responsible for keeping their pantry stocked with spaghetti, sauce, and macaroni and cheese throughout the year. So, next time you are in the grocery store (or every time for that matter) pick up a box or two of spaghetti and a can or two of sauce (cans are preferred over jars) and some boxed mac and cheese and bring it to the brightly colored collection bins on the first floor hallway outside of Fellowship Hall. Let’s keep up our job to keep them stocked with pasta. The Pantry will also accept donations of any nonperishable food item you would like to add to the bin.
The Crisis Food Pantry at South Rome U M C is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM. Volunteers are also needed to help sort and distribute food. If you would like to volunteer you may call the Rome Action Ministry office directly at 706-291-7731.
Volunteers are also needed to take the food from SABC to the Pantry.

Family 2 Family 2008 God’s Gym: Training the Body of Christ for Over 2000 Years
This spring, Family 2 Family seeks to get you in shape spiritually. We’ll learn about and practice the classic spiritual disciplines. As always, we will have a great time of activities, games, prayer, Bible study, and worship all designed to help us become more like Christ. Family 2 Family is at 6:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall. Healthy Snacks and a juice bar will be provided. Here is our schedule for the spring.

10-Feb Designing Your Workout
17-Feb Breathing Deeply (Prayer)
24-Feb Cotton Patch Gospel
02-Mar Finding Focus (Meditation)
09-Mar Eating Less (Fasting)
16-Mar Palm Sunday--Family 2 Family Field Trip/Game Night
23-Mar Easter Sunday (No Evening Activities)
30-Mar The Proper Diet (Bible Study)
06-Apr Dykes Creek (We’ll join them for their revival service.)
13-Apr Strength Training (Service) & Stretching (Submission)
20-Apr Building Endurance (Solitude)
27-Apr Breaking Through (Worship)
04-May Finish the Drill
11-May Mother's Day (No Evening Activities)
18-May F2F Year End Celebration – Food, Fun, and Games at Lock and Dam Park

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Homebound Members
February 10:
Jackie Popay

February 17
Emily Reid

Giving for the Week of 1/27/08
Budget Goal to Date $ 54,200.
Budget Gift to Date 32,442.
Weekly Budget Goal 13,550.
Weekly Budget Gifts 7,651.
Total Gifts to Date $ 48,336.

Attendance for 1/27/08
Sunday School     180
Morning Worship 219

Giving for the Week of 2/3/08
Budget Goal to Date $ 67,750.
Budget Gift to Date     43,276.
Weekly Budget Goal   13,550.
Weekly Budget Gifts   10,834.
Total Gifts to Date    $ 63,690.

Attendance for 2/3/08
Sunday School      182
Morning Worship 200

Total giving as of 2/3/08 for Second Century Campaign:
$313,261.44

Weekly Schedule
Sunday, February 10
9:00 am Women’s Prayer Time
9:45 am Sunday School
11:00 am Morning Worship
3:00 pm Cotton Patch rehearsal
5:00 pm Missions Committee
6:00 pm Family 2 Family

Monday, February 11
6:00 pm Ladies’ Night Out
6:30 pm Cotton Patch rehearsal

Tuesday, February 12
4:00 pm Meals and More
6:30 pm Cotton Patch rehearsal

Wednesday, February 13
5:15 pm Family Night Supper
5:30 pm Personnel and Trustees Committee meetings
6:00 pm Prayer Time—Fellowship Hall
6:15 pm Church Conference—Fellowship Hall
6:45 pm Children’s Mission Groups
7:00 pm Chancel Choir rehearsal

Thursday, February 14
7:00 am Men’s Prayer Breakfast

Friday, February 15
9:30 am Women's Bible Study

Saturday, February 16
Cotton Patch: All day set construction—no cast