Being a part of the ‘church on the go’ - Catholic Star Herald
Being a part of the ‘church on the go’ - Catholic Star Herald |
- Being a part of the ‘church on the go’ - Catholic Star Herald
- Community News October 31, 2019 - Enterprise-Tocsin
- Cross Words: How sin taints our worship - Gallipolis Daily Tribune
| Being a part of the ‘church on the go’ - Catholic Star Herald Posted: 31 Oct 2019 07:37 AM PDT  Recently, Pope Francis used the expression "church on the go" by which he invites us to "bear witness by our lives that we have come to know Jesus. It is our lives that speak." We begin this month of November with the Solemnity of All Saints, a commemoration of all those women and men whose lives have given witness to and have spoken about Jesus. All of the Saints conducted their lives not by words, but by living their faith. They were the "church on the go." In my lifetime I have been blessed to know and to be influenced by men and women whose lives of Christian virtue and faith have been examples to me of living the faith. There are so many people who need to experience the love of God as revealed in Jesus Christ and preached by the church. People can be influenced by those who live Godly lives and publicly practice the faith. Their lives speak about Jesus and give testimony to Christ. They are in the "church on the go." It is the tradition of our church to hold up for our imitation examples of these men and women whose faith filled living has given testimony to the Lord. Saints such as Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, the Patroness of the Missions whose cloistered life was about offering prayer for the spread of the Gospel throughout the world. Saint Francis Xavier, one of the first Jesuits who, with great sacrifice, went to Asia to preach the Gospel. Saint John Henry Cardinal Newman, an outstanding theologian, recently canonized, who found truth in the Catholic Church. His decision to enter the Catholic Church cost him the loss of family, friends and coworkers. These are "official" saints. The "church on the go" is also peopled by "unofficial" saints whose example of Christian living, of following Jesus Christ, inspires others. Each of us should consider how our lives can witness to Jesus Christ. It is not necessary to go to a foreign land and preach about Jesus and invite people to our church. Rather, each one of us can be on mission in our own situation of life. In our own work place; in our own family. Each one can be in the "church on the go." In our own particular unique situation in life. Let me propose some examples: Two weeks ago I joined those praying the rosary outside an abortion clinic in Cherry Hill. They are involved in the 40 days for life movement. They are a mixed age group of men and women who by public prayer were giving witness to the sacredness of life in the womb. They are a "church on the go" who take to the street to pray in front of a building where the lives of unborn babies are ended. I have been celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation and meeting catechists, directors of religious education and parish catechetical leaders. They are a "church on the go" who prepare young teenagers for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Their ministry requires a lot of sacrifice. It is hard work which they generously do. They are aware that the future of our church is in their hands. They are a "church on the go" who teach, prepare, form and inform young lives. On Thursday, Oct. 17, I blessed the beautifully restored extension of Our Lady of Hope Regional Catholic School in Blackwood which was destroyed in the late spring by an electrical fire. Teachers, administrators and children accompanied me and the area pastors as we invoked God's protection on the building and on all who are involved in the ministry of Catholic education. In that school building the faith is taught everyday by teachers and administrators who educate the whole child: mind, body and soul. Their lives give witness to the Lord by their dedication to Catholic education. These educators are a "church on the go" for their students. The priests of the diocese recently gathered for our annual convocation for three days of reflection, prayer and fellowship. I had an opportunity to address them and I thanked them for their ministry to the people of the diocese. These ordained men by their selfless service bring Christ to so many people. Some of them labor under difficult situations; many do so alone. They face daily pressures and demands on their time and they do so without complaint. The priests of our diocese pastor the "church on the go." The other night I was with 400 major donors to our diocese, who have generously given to the House of Charity – Bishop's Annual Appeal, or to CATHOLIC STRONG, our recent diocesan campaign, or to the South Jersey Scholarship Fund which provides scholarships to families whose children attend a Catholic school, or the annual Justice For All dinner which supports Catholic Charities. The generosity and charity of these women and men to our various fundraising efforts make possible the "church on the go" in many programs across the diocese. The "church on the go" publicly witnesses to Christ. It is found wherever women and men, boys and girls, young adults or teenagers, let their faith be seen. May we be inspired by their testimony and be among their number.  |
| Community News October 31, 2019 - Enterprise-Tocsin Posted: 31 Oct 2019 02:30 PM PDT Library Events ♦ Join us in making Halloween Cupcakes TODAY from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Henry Seymour Library, Indianola. ♦ Join us for "Trick or Treat at the Library" TODAY from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. at the Horace Stansel Memorial Library, Ruleville. ♦ Join us for "Chair Yoga" every Thursday at 5 p.m. and "Yoga at the Library" every Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Henry Seymour Library, Indianola. ♦ Please note that the Kathy June Sheriff Public Library in Moorhead is now open on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. ♦All library programs are free and open to the public. For more details about these and other programs, please contact Gail Brinston at (662) 887-1672, ext. 108. MSU Extension Service ♦Make plans to improve your health habits by joining the Fit4Life senior citizens exercising class in a FREE video-led fitness class from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday thru Thursday at the Extension office. Please call 887-1901 to sign up. ♦Create an Evergreen Swag for the upcoming holidays from 10 a.m. to 12 noon on Tuesday, Nov. 5th at the Sunflower County Extension office, 112 South MLK Dr. $25 pre-registration fee due TODAY. All supplies furnished. For more information call the Extension office at 887-1901. ♦Sunflower County Extension will be hosting the FARMtastic exhibit again this fall for area schools to bring students to learn about agriculture. This event will be held November 19-21 at the Edgar Donahoe Livestock Barn in Sunflower. Please consider volunteering for this event and helping to educate our kids in the precious agriculture of the Miss. Delta. For more info call 887-4601. ♦Sunflower Stitchers meets from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. the 3rd Wednesday of every month. The next date will be Nov. 20th. Fall Festival Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church, located 3 miles east of Moorhead, presents their Fall Festival 2019 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. They invite you to come out and enjoy food, fun, horseback riding and games. Christmas Parade The City of Shaw is finalizing it "Christmas Holiday Season Kick-Off Celebration" with its annual Christmas Parade on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 11 a.m. (downtown Shaw on White Oak & Peeler Ave.). Your church, business, organization or club is invited to participate in the Shaw Christmas Parade. Entry forms are available at Shaw City Hall, located at 101 Faison Street (across from the Post Office). For more information call Eleanor Scott (662.754.4323) or Shelonda Frazier (662.754.3131 - Shaw City Hall, from 8a-5p). Entry forms may be dropped off or faxed. Entry deadline date is TOMORROW. Household & Clothes Give-Away on Make a Difference Day Indianola Christian Church, located at 410 Roosevelt Street, will sponsor its annual Ethel McDaniel Williams "Make a Difference Day" from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday. Clothing items for men, women and children, household goods and other misc. specialties will be given away FREE to the public. For more info call 601-832-5436. MVSU Alumni Meeting The Sunflower County Mississippi Valley State Alumni Association will meet at 4:30 p.m. Sunday in the fellowship hall at First United Baptist Church. All alumni and friends of the Valley are invited to attend this meeting. Twice-Monthly FREE Clothes Give-Away Jesus is the Way Seventh Day Adventist Church, located at 600 Church Street, will host a twice-monthly FREE clothes give-away from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the first Tuesday and second Saturday of every month. The next dates will be Tuesday, Nov. 5 and Saturday, Nov. 9. Clothes and shoes are available for all sizes. For more info, contact Elder Herbert Clark at 662-303-0748. Christmas T-shirts Spread some Christmas cheer by supporting the Indianola Volunteer Fire Department's sale of Christmas T-shirts. The t-shirts come in both short sleeve ($20) and long sleeve ($25) versions in all sizes, from youth-small through adult 5X. Order forms may be picked up and dropped off with Justin Griffin at Wade, Inc. or at The E-T office. All orders MUST be turned in by Friday, Nov. 8. For more info contact James Ferguson (662-207-2697) or Jake Abney (662-207-4965). Veterans Day Breakfast Community Bank will once again sponsor their annual Veterans Day Breakfast at 8 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 11. Holiday Season Kick-Off Celebration The City of Shaw is finalizing it "Christmas Holiday Season Kick-Off Celebration." The list of activities include: Thursday, Nov. 14 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. – "Meet & Greet" (Delta Hands for Hope Bldg.); 6 p.m. to 6:40 p.m. – greeting, prayer, singing and the City's Christmas lighting ceremony; 6:40 p.m. to 7 p.m. – words of encouragement from the Mayor & Police Chief (Holiday Safety Tips); Friday, Nov. 15 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. – "Holiday Reception" (Delta Hands for Hope Bldg.); 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. – greeting, prayer, entrepreneurs recognition and door prizes give-a-way; 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. – socialize/exchange of business cards, etc., refreshments, and judging of the Christmas Cookies Contest; Saturday, Nov. 16 – the "Grand Finale" Shaw Christmas Parade beginning at 11 a.m. downtown. Want a Job? If you are looking for a job, then the SHCPI/DWDA/WIOA Program is looking for you. The program is seeking out-of-school youth, high school or college graduates, from Sunflower and Humphreys counties who are 16 to 24 years of age, who are NOT working, registered or enrolled in any college or training. For more information come to Sunflower Humphreys Counties Progress, Inc., 414 Martin Luther King Drive or call Leronda Sibley at 662-887-1431 ext. 318. Reading and Math Tutoring Tutoring services are being offered by Trinity Outreach Church, located at 504 Roosevelt Street. Students ages 5 to 14 will receive Reading and Math instruction from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Refreshments will be provided. Contact Pastor Charlene Walker at 662-574-6773 for more info. Financial Education Boot Camp Word of Life Church of God in Christ, 1108 Third Avenue, will continue a Financial Education Boot Camp which began Wednesday, Oct. 9. The curriculum is taught over a five-week period in 2 to 2½ hour sessions between 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. B.B. King Museum Events ♦ Piano and Guitar Lessons! Come by the museum to register! Earn Your Diploma Earn your high school diploma in just 22 weeks! Tuition, room and board is absolutely free. Youth ChalleNGe, located at Camp Shelby is the premier alternative education program for 16 to 18 year old youths who are struggling in school or no longer attending. College classes also available through a local university. For an application or more info, call 1-800-507-6253 or visit their website: msyouthchallenge.org.  |
| Cross Words: How sin taints our worship - Gallipolis Daily Tribune Posted: 31 Oct 2019 09:44 AM PDT  Nothing makes me feel farther from God than sin. The shame in my heart. The gunk in my mind. Something about sin causes me to play hide-and-seek with God. After all, His holiness and perfection seem all-too-scary for a darkened heart like mine to encounter. That's what sin does. It taints our worship by creating a barrier between us and God. And we need not look any further than the first book of the Bible to discover this truth. In Genesis 2, Adam and Eve live in a perfect world. There's no sin. There's no death. There's no cancer, divorce, or suffering. Everything is absolutely flawless. Because of this, there's no shame. Verse 25 reads, "And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed" (ESV). Adam and Eve are naked before one another without any shame. That's obvious. But I want to examine this verse on a deeper level. You see, it also suggests that Adam and Eve stand before God without anything to hide. Being unashamed, Adam and Eve relate to one another and their Creator without hindrance. It's a perfect relationship with God. Worship in its most authentic form. But it doesn't last long. In Genesis 3, sin enters the world. The Bible says, "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate" (v. 6 ESV). Adam and Eve lose sight of God. They see something that appears to satisfy the deepest longings of their hearts. And they reach for it, anticipating fulfillment in something outside of God's will. Essentially, they believe that what they're reaching for can bring more joy than God Himself. Sin in its most authentic form. The Bible continues: "Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden" (v. 7-8 ESV). With sin in their hearts, Adam and Eve realize something isn't right. They experience shame. They recognize a discrepancy between who they are and what God has called them to be. And as they attempt to reconcile the issue, they hide themselves from God. Now, we can't really hide from God (see Heb. 4:13). But our attempt to hide from the presence of God reveals an acknowledgement that God is holy. It reveals the sinful nature of man. And it shows us that a big problem is at hand. I've been in worship services before where I felt so far from God because of my sin that I didn't even want to be there. People around me sang about God, but all I felt was a deep darkness in my soul. And I couldn't wait until the service was over. After all, the sin in my life at the time created a deep sense of shame in my heart that made me want to hide from God. As a worship minister, I wonder if people feel the same way in our gathered worship each week. I wonder if that's one of the reasons why people stay away from church in the first place. Because sin taints our worship. In 1 John, there's a beautiful passage about darkness and light. It's a passage about shame and grace. And I want to end with these words today. "This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1:5-9 ESV). If you feel lost in the deep darkness of sin, there's hope. If you're tired and weary from hiding, there's a better way. When we confess our sins to God, we find forgiveness. As we repent, the light of Christ shines in our hearts. A right relationship with God is resorted. A right relationship with others is restored. And worshipping the Creator as our holy God becomes possible again. You can stop hiding now. Isaiah Pauley is the Minister of Worship for Faith Baptist Church in Mason, W.Va. Find more at www.isaiahpauley.com  |
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