The Sunday Summary

Sunday was a great day to get out of the cold and share together in worship here at CSUMC. It was quite a day!

Here are a few highlights from this week's services:

• Amy Schlaff reminded us that next week is "Blanket Sunday" to benifit Church World Service. The blankets are $5 each and are distributed in needy areas or after major disasters. CWS blankets have been given around the world and even here in the US after hurricane Katrina and the recent tornados in Florida. For more information you can check out thier website.
• The children sang "Seed in Your Heart" during the 10:45 Service. They sounded great!
• The Rejoice! Service experimented a little this week with an expanded praise ensemble, a smaller bulletin, and a power point presentation. It was a GREAT service and we had a lot of people here to share with us.

Pastor Keith's sermon was entitled "THey've been to the mountain top and...." Here are some highlights from his sermon:

• We all experience transfiguration in our lives.
• A mountaintop experience has no meaning if it stays on the mountain.
• In the biblical sense when a transfiguration takes place it means something is going to happen. IT is preparation for the "next step" or next "assignment".
• We are transformed so that we might go and be instruments of transformation for toher people.
• We are called to make "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven"
• For Jesus, the transfiguration was a time when he was transformed by god and prepared and encouraged. God let him know that he had Moses and Elijah beside him in the weeks to come.
• God says, "This is my son, Listen to him". When we listen to Jesus we begin to understand our own transfiguration and go beyond just hearing the word to actually acting on those words.
• Pastor Keith quoted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I've been to the Mountaintop" speech, given in Memphis.
• He also told us the story of a 15 year old young man who is working to put an end to slavery in all forms.
• Finally, he reminded us all that while we are unaware of the way God works in our lives, God does indeed work to bring us our own transfiguration.

Sunday night, the youth had Confirmation Class, and the congregation was treated to a concert by the "Starlight Radio" group in our sanctuary.