Genesis Summary

Genealogy of The Israelites

Genesis Final Quiz

Final Quiz

Sunday After Christmas-12/27/10

Dec. 27 Worship at The Melting Pot at Munsey Church, Johnson City,

to give back a little Christmas to the disadvantaged and downtrodden.

11:00 a.m. come by 10: 16 with breakfast snacks to enjoy!

(This is as close to “inner city” as we can get and you know how safe it is!)

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve Celebration: 5:30 @ Boone’s Creek Ruritan 144 Boring Chapel Rd., 37615

Communion, The Christmas Story, Candles, Carols, Prayer, Hearing God’s Gifts at Work

Family, Building a feeling of Community, Sensing the Presence of Jesus Among Us, Hope!

Lionel Christmas Train Display

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Christmas of Lionel Trains at the Journey Church

Come remember the Christmas past with a display of Lionel electric trains at the Journey Church (held in the Ruritan building at 144 Boring Chapel Rd in Boones Creek/Gray 1 mile north of Zak’s Furniture). One of our members is bringing his collection of these classics out for a weekend of enjoyment, hands on “engineers”, and celebrating the traditions of America’s remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ 2000 years ago.

The original trains are from the golden age – 1940-1960 – and include classic models like the Santa Fe Super Chief, the Lackawanna, the Pennsylvania, the Union Pacific, and, of course, Lionel Lines. Also included will be a display of the company’s vintage catalogs from the same time period.

The display will be for two days, December 18-19, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Hot chocolate will served with any donation given to help the Youth Group mission and retreat costs.

LIONEL TRAINS AND CHRISTMAS

Though Jewish by birth, founder Joshua Lionel Cowen was quick to pick up on the traditional gift-giving celebrations of the Christmas holiday. Cowen first marketed his earliest electric trains for window displays, but by 1910 was producing an elaborate line of Standard Gauge (approximately 1:32) replicas, using the classic three-rail track in which the center, or middle, rail powered the equipment.

The trains on display this weekend are in 0 gauge, approximately 1:48 scale, which the company began producing in 1915. After buying manufacturing rival Ives during the late 1920s, Lionel was positioned to overtake all competitors in the quality train marketplace, which it did. By the advent of World War II, the company had dropped its larger Standard Gauge designs and was focused on more realistic models. By marketing toy trains as part of any Christmas, Lionel and other manufacturers like Ives and American Flyer were able to create a sense of family memories closely associated with the ‘holy days’ of the season. Indeed, Lionel actually marketed trains as the toy that could bring fathers and sons together, something that the culture was already trying to rectify in the 20th century. Lionel even attempted a now-valuable pink ‘girl’s train’ in the late 1950s! However, the classic models of that postwar era were the Berkshire and Turbine steam engines, the F3 diesels like the Santa Fe, and others in 0 gauge, with a compliment of accessories and action-producing cars. A more economically priced line of models was offered in 0-27 gauge, with the only real difference being the construction of the track itself (both 0 and 0-27 are compatible in width and use). There can be little doubt that these examples brought joy to father and son alike when they were first opened as gifts many years ago.

TRAINS IN THE BIBLE

While railroads were not invented until the early 19th century, the Bible references trains in a more cosmic sense. The ‘train of the Lord’ filled the temple in Isaiah, and Jesus himself ‘led out captives in his train’ at his resurrection from death. More recently, there have been Christian songs written and sung about trains, the most well-known stating that ‘life is like a mountain railroad,’ referencing the ups and downs that require a steady heart, a watchfulness for danger, and an ever-changing transition of circumstances. While we don’t adhere to a belief that trains are the equivalent of a spiritual experience, they often metaphorically represent things in our lives – our plans can be ‘on the right track’, ‘sidetracked’, or even ‘derailed.’  Sometimes, we’ll quickly admit, even the Journey Church is like a mountain railroad, but we believe that Jesus is at the throttle and he will indeed bring us safely home to Himself. We welcome you to come and worship with us in Spirit and in Truth this holiday season.

Tote Bag Logo Idea

Plastic bags for shopping? Join the green movement to get rid of the need for plastic bags. How about The Journey’s own canvas tote bag? Here’s an idea for a logo on the side. Any other ideas? Send them to this email.

Freedom in The Journey with the Foundations of the Past

Discipling Abraham; Discipling Me

How do we disciple someone? Maybe we should learn from the master himself, God. God took Abram, a pagan, along as a protegé and disciple, to educate him in trust and obedience. How can anyone trust and obey an invisible God, slipping in and out of our reality and who asks us to do mysterious chores possibly and likely causing us more trouble in this life? This is Abraham’s life story, a story of learning through crisis to trust the invisible God who speaks to him, even bargains. I have copied the following outline from my favorite commentary on Genesis. Hope you can see the pattern in your own life, too. Have faith! God is real.

Abraham’s 11 Trials Chart

Paradox of Christian Suffering Weekend

A Ministry Development Tool to create authentic Christians who set the table on the outside.

Jesus came to bring life and…

suffering.

Tell people they are going to heaven because of the cross, but don’t forget that Jesus said “You’re going to be hated and persecuted because of me.”

• What kinds of suffering can we reasonably expected?
• Is there a sick kind of Christian martyrdom complex?
• How will our lifestyle, choices, jobs and free time be liberated when we understand Jesus’ call to carry our cross daily?

“The Paradox of Christian Suffering Weekend”

May 21-23.

Guest speaker:

Pastor Iran Bernard deCosta, Brasilia, Brazil.

At The Journey Church

Schedule

Theologian, Dietrich Bonheffer, killed by the Nazi’s in 1945, wrote that “Our God is a suffering God.” Obviously, Jesus, God, suffered!

Christian suffering, by contrast, is a specific kind of suffering which, for Bonhoeffer has three main features: first, it is voluntary; second, it is bearing the burdens of others; and, third, it is done for the sake of Christ. This is suffering that one freely and gladly assumes in the loving of one’s neighbor or neighborhood. As such, it is nothing other than answering the demands of Christian discipleship. According to Bonhoeffer, this suffering entails the active following of Jesus into a hurting and often hostile world, doing the “extraordinary” not from some heroic impulse but from the prompting of the Spirit of Christ.”

Bonhoeffer’s favorite passage of Scripture for summing up his concern was Paul’s admonition, “Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal 6:2).

Mission Projects 2010

Three Bigger projects:

Battle of the Bands

Gray Community Chest

Gray Nursing Home

Ongoing Collections and Groups

Surf Ministries: University and Colleges in NE Trinity currently meeting Sunday nights in Bristol, Cell Groups and many serving ministries.

Juvenile Diabetes Support Group: Shawn and Jennifer Dolence

Parents waiting for Adoption Support Group: Jesse and Victoria Heinz

Socks and Underwear (Clean and New in Packages) for the Homeless Shelters

Shoebox Christmas Collections

5 Cents a meal (collect change for food pantries)

Compassion International Child Sponsorship (we sponsor nine children)

Creative Easter Celebrations

Each Easter we create a memorable event for families and individuals. Two years ago the sanctuary was filled with balloons on Palm Sunday, green balloons, with seven red heart balloons mixed into the hundreds on the floor. In 2009, we filled the air with colorful streamers and crepe paper as “Jesus walked into the sanctuary.” We preceded these years with weeks of fasting from some unusual habit such as speeding or shopping at the mall or video watching. We selected fasts randomly from a basket.

This year we are playing on the theme of God’s covenant found in our study of Genesis on Sunday mornings. The rainbow was the first sign of God’s everlasting covenant to humanity but ephemeral and rare in the sky. The cross is the permanent sign of God’s eternal, permanent and ever visual covenant. Has anyone seen a picture of a cross with a rainbow painted on it? We have a few designs submitted below.

On Palm Sunday, we had multi-colored popsicle sticks which we threw into the air and covered the floor so that “Jesus could walk on them” after we read the Palm Sunday story in Mark’s gospel. When people come back on Easter Sunday they will see the first sign of the covenant, rainbow popsicle sticks, morphed into the permanent sign. Nothing too fancy but the effect is absolutely indelible.