Month: January 2023

Hey Everyone!

I hope you’re all warm and safe on this chilly Saturday afternoon. If you hadn’t heard, Silas and I were under the weather this week and have thus been laying low. Both of us, however, are feeling better and are grateful for all your prayers and support this past week. We are blessed to be a part of this community. 🙂

Although it was a slower week, I have done some prayerful thinking about our upcoming Lenten season together. I believe Lent offers us an incredible gift of which we don’t take full advantage. A season of thoughtful reflection about our sense of call and who we are as Christ’s disciples in the world is time well spent.

To that end, I’m excited to share that we’ll be dipping into the book The Cost of Discipleship, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a prominent 20th century, neo-reformed, German theologian who was both a leader in the confessing church movement of the mid-1930s and involved in a plan to assassinate Adolph Hitler. Consider journeying with me through various chapters from Discipleship on the six Tuesdays of Lent (February 28; March 7, 14, 21, 28; April 4). More information to come, but if you’d like to purchase a copy of the book, we’ll be using this version (although any version is fine).

Tomorrow, Sunday, January 29th will be the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany and the last Sunday for our Christmas decoration. Details on un-decorating the church can be found in the Announcements below. During tomorrow’s service, I’ll be preaching from the New Testament text, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31. If you’d like to read the texts prior to the service (or during the week), you can find them in the downloadable Order of Worship below.

Beyond those highlights, here are your Announcements for the week ahead:

Intergenerational Study of the Bible for Youth
Our intergenerational study of the Bible meets tonight Sunday, January 29th from 4:00pm to 6:30pm in Darley Hall (note the length is one hour longer). Tonight, we’ll be finishing The Ten Commandments. A bowl-ognese dinner will be offered with the movie. Participants are encouraged to bring microwave popcorn and movie snacks. 

Un-Decorating the Sanctuary
Thursday, February 2nd is Candlemas, the holy day when we observe the Presentation of Christ. Join us at 10:00am in Darley Hall as we take down the inside decorations. 

Wednesday Bible Study
Join us for our weekly Bible Study on February 1st at its usual time–5:00-6:30pm in Darley Hall and on Zoom. This week, we’ll be look at the Apocryphal additions to Daniel: Azariah, Susanna, and Bel and the Dragon.

Men’s Prayer Breakfast
Men’s Prayer Breakfast is happening this week on Groundhogs Day, Thursday, February 2nd at 7:00am.

Cost of Discipleship Lenten Reading Group
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 22nd and will continue until Easter Sunday, April 9th. This Lenten season, you’re invited to join Jason on Tuesdays (time to be determined) in Darley Hall and on Zoom as we explore The Cost of Discipleship, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Next Sunday, February 5th we’ll celebrate the Eucharist and have our first of the month potluck. Decorations will be in a Valentines theme, so let’s see if you can work that into your potluck dish. 😉

And, here are your links for this week:

Sunday Worship Service:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88489308747?pwd=RHVFY1BybkU0a1RXZE9GRlBZWWpNUT09

Wednesday Evening Bible Study:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83431443393

Greetings CPC,

I hope you’re all safe and sound in your respective locations. I have some very sad news to share with you today, that I’m certain many of you likely already know. Lewis Thorne died on Wednesday this past week at his home in Boerne, Texas. Lewis was one of our summer residents who worshipped at CPC with his spouse Nancy when in town. I got to know Lewis and Nancy at our Tuesday morning “read and share” Bible Study this past summer. I know many in our community are heartbroken by this tragic news. Let us continue to hold the Thorne family in our prayers this weekend and in the weeks to come. For those seeking more information about Lewis’s life, visitation times, or the funeral service, you can find it HERE.

This Week
This Sunday, January 15th is the Second Sunday after Epiphany and also the Sunday when we acknowledge Jesus’ baptism. To that end, we’ll explore John’s account of the events that followed Christ’s baptism and Christ’s first calling of the disciples Peter and Andrew. If you’re interested in reading the lectionary texts for this week you can find them at the bottom of the online order for worship, which can be downloaded below.

Also, please remember that we’ll be holding our 2023 Annual Congregational Meeting this Sunday, January 15th, directly after the morning worship service. The agenda for the meeting can be found in the online Order of Worship bulletin below. If you are a member of CPC, then we’re asking that you make every effort to be present in-person or online for this important meeting. For those in town, fellowship will follow the congregational meeting.

Finally, as some of you know, my family and I will be traveling to Chicago this coming week to attend a wedding/family reunion. There will be some young adults staying in the manse taking care of Louis, Ruby, Magnificat, and Weasley (Silas’s bearded dragon lizard). Consequently, I’ll be out of the office from Tuesday, January 17th until Monday January 23rd. I’ll be back on Tuesday, January 24th. Should any pastoral emergencies surface, please reach out to me via text or email. But, don’t fret, I’m leaving you in the very capable hands of our ruling elders. I’m also happy to announce that Dan Smith will be preaching while I’m away.

Here are your announcement for the week ahead:

Annual Congregational Meeting Reminder
Directly after the worship service, we’ll be holding our annual congregational meeting. The meeting will be available via Zoom and those members outside of Lake City are enthusiastically encouraged to join us online for our yearly update and to vote on the 2023 budget. 

Intergenerational Study of the Bible for Youth
Join us for our intergenerational study of the Bible tonight Sunday, January 15th from 4:00pm to 5:30pm (Annex).

Wednesday Bible Study
There will be NO Monday night games or Wednesday Bible Study this week. 

Men’s Prayer Breakfast
Men’s Prayer Breakfast is back this week. Join the men of Lake City this Thursday, January 19th at 7:00am for good food, prayer and Bible study.

Here is your link for Sunday morning worship and the Congregational meeting:

Sunday Worship Service & CPC Annual Congregational Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88489308747?pwd=RHVFY1BybkU0a1RXZE9GRlBZWWpNUT09

Hey Everyone,

In case you weren’t aware, tonight is the 12th Night of Christmas. So party like it’s 1999! 🙂 This also means that tomorrow, January 6th is Epiphany, the holy day we celebrate the arrival of the Magi.

This Sunday we’ll celebrate Epiphany with hymns and Scriptures, but that’s not all. Don’t forget that we’ll also be celebrating the Eucharist and having our January potluck after the service. For those planning to join us for the potluck, the theme is noodles. You can make any kind of noodle dish from any cuisine in the world. But you all know I’ll be making some ramen noodles. If you’re not a noodle fan, don’t fret–we’ll also be providing a ham.

For those wanting to try their hand at noodle making, bring your dough (or the ingredients if your dough doesn’t require sitting time) to the church this Saturday, January 7th and join me in Darley Hall from 1:00 to 3:00.

This week’s Zoom links, order of worship, and announcements can be found below:

Intergenerational Study of the Bible for Youth
Our intergenerational study of the Bible returns tonight Sunday, January 8th from 4:00pm to 5:30pm in the Annex.

January Session
This Wednesday, January 11th, the CPC elders will meet for  our January Session at 10:00am in Darley Hall.

Wednesday Bible Study
Join us this Wednesday, January 11th from 5:00-6:30pm as we return to our study of the Apocrypha with the book of Baruch.

Men’s Prayer Breakfast
Men’s Prayer Breakfast is back this week. Join the men of Lake City this Thursday, January 12th at 7:00am for good food, prayer and Bible study.

Annual Congregational Meeting Reminder
Next Sunday, January 15th, we’ll be holding our annual congregational meeting directly after the morning worship service. The meeting will be available via Zoom and those members outside of Lake City are encouraged to join us online to vote.

Here’s your links for the week ahead:

Sunday Worship Service:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88489308747?pwd=RHVFY1BybkU0a1RXZE9GRlBZWWpNUT09

Wednesday Evening Bible Study:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83431443393