Eastland eBulletin 8.6.06

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Potpourri
. Remember the kid's bulletin in the foyer.
. Copies of today's sermon notes are available in the literature rack.

Cloyce Sutton is the speaker today.
. The August calendar and duty roster are now available.

Hmmm.
According to the title of business article in Friday's Courier-Journal,
"Storm victims itch to get hitched" (August 4, 2006, p D3). It seems that
since Hurricane Katrina leveled New Orleans, there has been a dramatic
increase in the number of people tying the knot. While some of this is due
to postponements, it appears that more people are getting married in the Big
Easy.

It seems that when times are uncertain, people turn to marriage as a source
of personal and social stability. It should not surprise Christians (see
Genesis 2:18-25).

It reminds me of statement attributed to the anthropologist Margaret Mead:
"No matter how many communes man invents, marriage rears its ugly head."

August Duties
. Transportation: Gorick, Crowder
. Lord's Supper: C & A Wilson
. Meals: A Sutton, K Mindel, N Pardue
. Deacon: J Gorick
. Usher: E Shields
. Sound: J Price

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The Almost Endless Theme
By Reggie Robarts

How many sermons have you heard in your lifetime about everyone having a
talent of some sort that God expects him or her to use in His service? One
time a person said to me, "Preaching is saying the same thing over in
different words." From one point of view that is true. This using the talent
theme, no matter how approached by the speaker, boils down to dire warnings
about not using that particular talent that you have been given and the
consequences for your failure on judgment day. This subject should never get
boring because the admonition is pertinent and the failure is serious, i.e.,
loss of one's soul. If we preached the very same sermon two or three times
every year the hearers should take it to heart and respond to the
admonitions. But, realizing people don't always do what they ought to do,
preachers try to dress up the sermon in new garb so it will pierce the
apathy of the hearers.

I said all of that to introduce an article that I found in my files by Steve
Dewhirst. Steve has a new twist in approaching this idea of talent use that
I found both amusing and effective. Read it and smile, and when through
smiling think seriously of the message. We all here at Eastland need to be
stimulated to some real talent use if we are going to be an active and
productive congregation.

Football And Fat Men

One great pleasure of this year's Peewee football season is that I am not
coaching. I get to watch other men transform 11 and 12 year olds into
vicious killers. I have also noticed a trend in coaches. As rows of boys lie
in the grass contorting their frames in various stretching exercises, four
or five men walk among them barking orders. And each man is sporting an
immense belly. Is that a coaching requirement?

After all, football is one of the sporting venues where girth is considered
a plus. Most sports are played by a bunch of skinny wimps with 2% body fat.
But not football. No sir, throw a few fat men together and they will maul
their way to a touchdown. That's one reason I enjoyed playing football in
school; it's the only sport for which I have ever been physically suited.
Which just serves to illustrate an important spiritual point, believe it or
not.

No matter what kind of "shape" one is in there's always a way to serve the
Lord. Isn't that what Jesus taught in the parable of the talents? We expect
great things from the one we deem to be a five-talent man. And even a
two-talent man has obvious abilities. But what about the lowly one talent
guy? He's not unlike the overfed hulk who lurks on the sidelines in most
sporting events, unsuited to physical rigors required.

But each man has a niche! Each person, created in the image of God, has
abilities that demand utilization. And that's the key, utilization. There's
something disappointing in seeing a big boy who doesn't play football. It's
as if he has missed his calling. But there's nothing more disappointing than
a Christian who will see neither his talents nor his responsibilities. Even
a big fat man (or a ninety seven pound weakling, rr), spiritually speaking,
can serve the Lord effectively.

You could have pretty well figured out what the ending would be by the
beginning. But it still is a timely and needed lesson. Let us one talent
people dig out our talent and get to using it like the Lord intended for us
to do.


You Might Be A Redneck:

. If it never occurred to be offended by the phrase, "One nation, under
God."

. If you stand and put your hand over your heart when they play the National
Anthem

. If you've never protested the Ten Commandments being posted in a public
place.

. If you respect your elders and expect your kids to do the same.

. If you are willing to say what you believe is right no matter who is
listening.


Long live such rednecks!

And Finally:

A wise old Indian was giving his grandson words of wisdom: "My son, there
are two wolves in every person and they fight each other daily. One is evil;
he is full of anger, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity,
guilt, resentment, lies, false pride, and ego. The other wolf is good; he is
full of joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, generosity, truth,
compassion and faith."

"Which one wins the fight Grandpa?" the boy asked.

The old man answered, "The one you feed."

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