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HUMOR FROM PASTOR McNAUGHTON's SERMONs: 1) President George W Bush entered a hotel and saw a man dressed like Moses. He ask the man "Are you Moses", but the man didn't reply. A bit annoyed, President Bush ask again, and then yet again. No response. Finally the man turned to an aide accompanying President Bush and said "Yes I am Moses, but the last time I spoke to bush I spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness." 2) A couple was driving in PA and chanced to get behind an Amish horse and buggy. The gentleman driving the horse and buggy apparenty had a sense of humor, because there was a sign on the back saying: "This is an environmentally friendly vehicle. It runs on oats and grass. However, beware the exhaust" LOOKING BACK and AHEAD Dear Members and Friends of Hildale: The year 2011 has turned out to be very exciting in our church. Sunday School resumed in the fall at 9:30 AM, Coffee Fellowship at 10:30 AM, and our regular Worship at 11:00 AM. In the summer we had worshiped at 10:00 AM. Our worship service continues to be available to those with a Cablevision digital convert on Channel 21 at 5 pm each Sunday. We rejoice that Dan Rosenberg has worked faithfully for exactly 26 years in December to give us this blessing. Tony kept after webmaster Gregg Aughenbaugh to get the ball rolling, and Gregg eventually succumed to the prodding. Gregg can occasionally be heard on the opening of the program playing the organ to Rev Tony's introduction. This opening was done in one "take' 26 years ago, a miracle considering Gregg's lack of proficiency on the organ. I plan to continue having a children’s sermon each Sunday. It is my hope to encourage families with children to bring them to church. Of course we will still continue our nursery and encourage all those who need it to use this service. “Let the little children come unto me and do not forbid them.” Matthew 19:14. If you have not been a part of our Adult Sunday School, please make this a regular part of your week. You will find this spiritually uplifting and your life will change for the better. I want this to continue to be an exciting church year, and it will be for you also if you plan to get involved. Be part of our team. Learn and grow, all in the context of Christian love. See you in church. If you cannot be with us, remember, you are in our prayers. Pastor Tony
Dear Church Family,
I'd like to share the following thoughts with you.
WE LOVE TO TELL THE STORY
In the topsy-turvy kingdom of God, the most unlikely people are most likely to be agents of God - the ones who live in the world below our kneecaps, the ones who are stuck at the end of the line, the ones who are sobbing on someone's shoulder because they are always, always last.
In God's world, things are different. Gurgling babies derail taped dispositions. Children run the UN. Toddlers are bishops and second sons get to go first, while servants sit down at tables they used to polish and the greatest disciple is the one who waits on them, the one whose name you can never remember (was that Thaddeus or Bartholomew!) If you want to enter this kingdom, there is a way: go find a nobody to put your arms around and say hello to God. - Barbara Brown Taylor, Bread of Angels
I will be with you; I will never leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous. - Joshua 1:5-6
BIBLICAL PASSAGE "The First Shall Be Last and the Last Shall Be First"
My sermon entitled "The Most Surprising Payday in History" is based on the Matthew 20:1-16.
The unmerited gift of grace of God is so prepostorous that it turns an upside-down world right side up again.
If you focus on merit, reward, or achievement, you'll never understand the grace of God.
Sometimes those who have been given much wrongly think they are better than others.
God call us to be first in service, not first in honor.
When you've experience God's grace, you can be an instrument of God's grace.
PERSISTENCE
Here are tips for strengthening the quality of persistence:
1) "Burn your ship" as did the explorer Cortez
2) Conquer by continuing
3) Take advantage of adversity
4) Disarm your doubts
MARK TWAINS FAVORITE WORD
His favorite word is thanks.
Here are three secrets to a thankful heart.
FIRST - Don't focus on what you lack;
focus on what you have.
SECOND - Don't focus on present circumstances;
focus on the presence of God.
THIRD - Don't focus on how people can serve you;
focus on how you can serve them.
THE FUTURE - OUR SAVIOR
We don't know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future.
HATRED
The events of September 11, 2001, though too horrible to conceive of, are real.
Hatred, lack of faith, or misunderstood faith can lead to such events. Let us together work to spread of faith of our fathers, and to not respond to hate with hatred. In the muscial "South Pacific", Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein said it well:
"You've got to be taught to hate and fear,
you've got to be taught from year to year,
it's got to be drummed in your dear little ear---
you've got to be carefully taught!"
"You've got to be taught to be afraid
of people whose eyes are oddly made,
and people whose skin is a different shade---
you've got to be carefully taught."
"You've got to be taught before it's too late,
before you are six or seven or eight,
to hate all the people your relatives hate---
you've got be carefully taught!"
Yours in Christ,
Rev Tony M MacNaughton
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