Sunday Summary (and Saturday too)

It was a great weekend for worship here at CSUMC despite our sound system issues. We had great attendance for all three services and were glad that everyone came out to worship!

Here are some of the highlights:

• The Choir presented "And We Remember"
• We celebrated the baptisms of Abby Logli and Jacob Voight
• The Youth sang "The God of Hope"
• The Scriptures were: Acts 11: 1-18 and John 13:31-35

Pastor Keith's sermons was called "Welcoming, Nurturing, and Serving." Here are some highlights:

• The Early church struggled with the conflict between Christian Judaism and becoming a Christian as a gentile.
• Peter's vision of "Kill and eat" taught that Gentiles should be embraced.
• Peter didn't understand this until he visited with Cornelius and his family.
• The power that moved Peter was the power of "Love one anohter as I have loved you"
• He shared a story told by Rabbi Label Lam: A Russian peasant farmer who never left the small and parochial surroundings of his town had occasion to come the big city of Moscow. He arrived at the elegant hotel with mud on his boots and overalls looking completely inappropriate. The man at the desk assigned him to a room on the top floor and treated him as any other paying customer. With key in hand and a few possessions he started the long climb to the hotel room. On the first landing there was a full-length mirror. The man who had never seen himself before was suddenly startled and frightened by the imposing image before him. He growled and barked to scare the him away - only to find that the image in the mirror was willing to threaten and shout the same. He ran to the next floor and confronted the fearsome giant again exchanging harsh looks and almost coming to blows. On the third floor they stood nose to nose and exchanged simultaneous insults as a deepening war-like attitude was taking root in both of the them. Realizing that there was no where to escape this ugly beast-like fellow who was aggressively stalking him in the hotel he ran quickly back to the lobby and to the front desk to file a complaint. After having given a detailed description of the perpetrator the man at the desk understood that the he had met the enemy and it was the man in the mirror. So as to save the face of his guest and to disengage the hostility he offered simple advice. He said, "The fellow who you confronted is here to protect people. He is really quite harmless. Trust me. If you will show him a harsh and angry countenance he will do the same. However if when you see him you just smile pleasantly and continue on your way he will nod and smile at you as well. Enjoy the rest of your stay." That's what he did and remarkably that's what happened...
• The poers that move or destroy us are often inside us.
• The love we need is realy within is. If we are created in the image of God, and God is love, then WE are love.
• HE also shared about the work done at Bethpage APartments on Appletree here in Rockford. The Leadership Rockford group worked to plant flowers at this home for those strugglign with mental illness.
• "It is by really serving that we experience the spirit of welcoming and nurturing"
• Sometimes we think that love is reciprocal. Rather, love moves us to serve without expecting anything.
• We don't serve because we recieve. We serve because we love.

Please join us next Sunday for Mother's day.