a glimpse towards Sunday 6.28.13
I’ve been at a week of kid’s camp in southwestern Ohio this week. We’ve had about one hundred 4th, 5th, and 6th graders converging in the sticks of Sinking Springs, Ohio to learn about God. Particularly, we’ve been teaching through the Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20.
Today we will tackle the final two: lying and coveting. This only means we gave a sweaty, valiant effort at teaching stealing and adultery yesterday. Yep. You read that right. We sweated the details of teaching God’s heart on adultery… TO ELEMENTARY KIDS! What the what?
I took two giant lollipops, licked them and stuck them together. I told the kids when a man and woman get married God expects them to stick. When married couples get unstuck, the heart of God breaks (and so did the lollipops). I explained how my dad became unstuck with my mom because he wanted to be with another woman. Telling my family’s story had all the kid’s eyes glued on mine. “THAT was adultery,” I screamed with passion. I think I connected. My hope is that an idea of oneness was planted within very young hearts and minds. The kids seemed to understand how the oneness of our family, the oneness of my parents, and the oneness of our home walking in the light of Jesus all became seriously compromised because of adultery.
The issue, I explained to the kids, is all about oneness. God desires the marriage of a man and woman to be one as a direct, reflective, real-life object lesson of the depth of relationship God wants with us. Oneness. In the same way a husband and wife become one, God wants to become one with us.
This Sunday we’ll be tackling our own tough topic at Cumberland. Divorce. What are the ramifications for married folks within the teaching of Mark 10:1-12? What about singles, teenagers, folks living together, remarried couples, divorced people… or soon to be? The teaching is clear. God, the Bible says, hates divorce, and yet the reality in our world is prevalent. The practical application of Sunday’s message is for ALL and is incredibly evident. At issue and stake is exactly what we told the campers here in Ohio. Oneness.
I hope you’ll take advantage of our gathering on Sunday morning. I love our new times… 9 & 11 a.m.! We’ll most likely still be a little dusty from our visionary construction. Thanks for your patience. We are literally living out a messy spirituality as we serve our community, city, and world.
PS: Don’t forget that tomorrow, Saturday, June 29, we will be cleaning up the church to get ready for Sunday. We need all hands on deck to accomplish this. We are meeting at the church at 9:00 AM and should complete by 1:00 PM
Love you all!
Blessings,
Weekly Giving | 06/21/13
$34,228.50
Weekly Need $29,000.00
