So lately, on my other blog SynerJACK, there has been this fad of ‘The 25 things I believe’ which have actually been really fun. So below is my list, and I now challenge you all to take a moment and have some fun with it. Game on!

1. I believe that commercials on T.V. are pointless, unless they are during the Super Bowl and for complete entertainment only!

2. I believe that children and youth are our future…and there’s a lot of work to do!

3. I believe that dogs are the best counselor.

The image of Flight 1549 hitting the icy waters of the Hudson River was captured on someone’s cell phone camera and broadcast on national news.  I suspect that many of the passengers were engaged in prayer when the problem became apparent and they were told about the upcoming crash landing.  When the passengers were being rescued and brought safely to shore, I heard many of them praising God and expressing gratitude for God’s listening to their prayers.  Made me wonder a few things…

 - Why do we reach out to God more often in a crisis than other times?

 - If fatalities had occurred, would that mean God did not listen?

 - Did people who have in the past rejected God suddenly find that God is a great resource for hope, comfort and strength while the plane was going down?

Just some random thoughts.  I am bracing for the impact of children’s church on Sunday morning.  Just kidding.  I love it!  I am, however, honestly bracing for the impact of my daughter graduating from high school in June and moving off to college in August!

Some weeks, I simply have writer’s block.

This was one of those weeks … until Thursday afternoon. I got home a little early from the office, and turned on CNN during coverage of the dramatic plane crash in the Hudson River. I was mesmerized by the story, particularly by the reports of the passengers themselves.

One of them said that the last thing the pilot said before they hit the water was, “Brace for impact!” That got me to thinking … and voila! A sermon!

I’ve named the sermon, “Brace for Impact,” and it will be about how we deal with life’s difficulties as they loom just ahead of us. What do we do when we fear what tomorrow brings — for good reason!? Where is God when we’re about to go down?

The best source of instruction is the Book of Psalms, because the Psalmist frequently wrote from the perspective of someone who was headed for disaster. Once, he even calls out, “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!” I’m going to be drawing from several different Psalms in the sermon, but a few of them particularly strike me. If you want to do a little pre-service prep, then check out Psalms 55, 91, and 130.

And if you want me to address a particular subject in this sermon, let me know. I’ll be writing this sermon right up to the beginning of the service!

First of all,  thanks to Scott Weber who played along quite well with the Mii sermon last Sunday. He created a Mii character for me with an online creator program, which can be found here.

However, contrary to what I said that morning, I have not been able to figure out how to get my Miis from the Wii onto this blog. So … can anybody out there help? How do I transfer a Mii to the Wii Message Board, and then get it uploaded?

Also, I just want to let you know that I have started my own personal blog, called “The Constant Missionary,” and you can find it here. My last post had to do with the change in the youth spring break mission trip plans, if you’re interested.

Today in children’s church the kids tried to catch bubbles.  Some of the bubbles were caught, some weren’t.  We talked about the things that God asks us to do in our lives and with our lives.  At the children’s level, those requests were things like obey our parents, be nice to our siblings even when they are annoying, help others, invite others to come to church with us, and so on.  We talked about the fact that some things are easy for us to do like praying and helping others.  Other things are difficult for us – being nice to someone who is annoying or who has hurt our feelings, forgiving, obeying when we would rather not.  The kids are right.  Some bubbles are difficult for us to catch and some are easy.  The kids are also right – we have to keep trying to stay in the game!

But there has been a great amount of people who have asked about the poem I read on the 28th of December. Yes, I did write. No, I didn’t think it was that good. However, apparently there was many of you in the church who though it was. So here it is for your enjoyment.

The Sake of Good Tidings

by Curtis Thomas

For the sake of good tidings

And laughter and cheer

Tis the season to be jolly

For you, I and all to hear

Welcome back, and Happy New Year everybody!

Yesterday in the 11:11 service, I threw out the suggestion that we might use Deuteronomy 11:11 as a kind of theme verse for the contemporary service in the future. The verse speaks of the quality of the Promised Land, which the Israelites are about to enter: “But the land into which you are about to cross to occupy is a land of hills and valleys, and drinks water from the rain of heaven.”

I didn’t have much time in the sermon to elaborate, but the general thought was that the Promised Land was going to be a place where the people and crops would be sustained by adequate rainfall throughout the year. Rain from heaven — from God! — would be the one, dependable resource in this land.

The Promised Land, then, would be a place of constant refreshing. And I argued that the 11:11 worship service ought also to always be a place of refreshing. No matter what happens to you during the week — no matter how difficult your circumstances — you ought to come to worship and be refreshed!

We are blessed with musicians and worship leaders who play music which is refreshing in its energy and sincerity!

We are blessed with Pam and Paul’s refreshing words of simplicity and hope for the children!

As preachers, Katherine, Dretha and I are charged with the task of refreshing you. We are to encourage you by reading the Word of God and then proclaiming it in such a way that you leave, filled up and ready to serve.

Every time you come to worship, whether at 8:30, 9:45, or 11:11, you ought to leave refreshed. But I believe that we have a special purpose and vision at 11:11. We have a different style that especially lends itself, I believe, to this task.

A few months ago, when the band and worship leaders met together to begin crafting a new vision for the contemporary service, one of our ideas was to give our service a special name that would reflect our vision. Reflect a bit, if you will, on Deuteronomy 11:11, and then we’d love to hear your suggestions on naming the service. Thanks!

As we prepare for Christmas, we are focusing a great deal on the birth of Jesus.  At our church this past Sunday we had a birthday party for Jesus.  One of the children asked her mom, “Is Jesus coming for the party?”  What a great question. In I Thessalonians 15:9-10, the Bible tells us, “For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. “  I love that passage!  As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, let us remember that Jesus is as much with us NOW as He will be in in heaven-only the geography will change!

I wonder what the responses would be if you asked people to share with you their family Christmas traditions…hmmm…We all have so many different traditions.  We tend to eat the same foods from year to year.  We tend to hang the same decorations, listen to the same songs, send cards to the same folks, and feel rushed and hurried. All part of the tradition…At church this coming Sunday, the children are having a HUGE celebration called “Birthday Party for Jesus.”  An angel will visit each classroom and will share part of the excitement of the Christmas story.  The children will hear the full story from their teachers.  Then, all the children will head to the Family Life Center where they will sing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus and share His birthday cake!  What a wonderful tradition!  As we come closer to Christmas Day, I invite you to make Christ part of your Christmas tradition.  Share Luke 2 with your family before you open presents.  Attend one of our Christmas Eve church services.  Pray with your family, thanking God for the gift of Jesus.  Merry Christmas!

Didn’t you love the children’s musical?  They were GREAT!

Look at the question in the Bubble…”How do YOU spell love?!?!” 

What a great question, especially for this time of the year, the

Advent season, the time we are anticipating the arrival of the

baby Jesus.  Of course, Jesus has already been born, has

already died on the cross, and has already been resurrected. 

How did God spell love for us?  God created us, guides us, wants a close relationship

with us, but  bottom line (I favor bottom lines) is that God loved us so much  that He

sent His only Son…Jesus.  God spells love J-E-S-U-S!  How do YOU spell love?