From: Dr. Randy L. Rowland [rlrowland@comcast.net] Sent: Sunday, May 06, 2007 3:43 PM To: Dr. Randy L. Rowland Subject: weekly words from Randoon ... 5/6/2007 WEEKLY WORDS FROM RANDOON For the week of 5/6/07…welcome to May! NEWS FROM SANCTUARY – Worship Attendance: 87 Offering: $4,500 New Members Class: 48 today (65 total) Coming Up – Women’s Soup Night – Tuesday June 8, Julie Eidson’s. Info @ parmstrong@sanctuarycrc.org New Women’s Small Group with Cami Davis and Cindy Sink. Info @ parmstrong@sanctuarycrc.org Interested into plugging into missional activities in and around Greenwood? Info @ bkatt@sanctuarycrc.org Community Potluck Dinner @ The Green Bean. May 14, 6pm. Info @ mwatrous@sanctuarycrc.org Green Bean Needs magazine baskets and good magazines. Info @ hsmith@sanctuarycrc.org PRAYERS – God, be with several sister churches as they select new pastors. May the be wise and courageous in selecting missional leaders. Jesus, we ask you healing hand on John Fason and all those who suffer with cancer. Holy Spirit, guide and unify the leaders of our nations toward peace in the world and care for all people. Father, be with those who have suffered the loss of loved ones, particularly Bambi’s family this week. REFLECTIONS – on “Making it Right – Repentance” Thanks to Ben Katt for an inspiring message on repentance today. We are in the middle of a Spring series on Sin and MAKING IT RIGHT. We have covered the general idea and devastating effects of this thing we call sin as offense against God and the Creation. We also talked about sin as our “vandalizing” the peace and beauty of God’s world. Week two, we looked at FORGIVE ME, a real practical lesson on how to come to God and seek forgiveness from our sins as the first step in helping reverse the curse of sin in our world. Week three was FORGIVENESS of others who have sinned against us. We discussed the REACH process for moving toward forgiveness and talked about how important it is to forgive. This week, Ben led us into the idea of REPENTANCE. Scripture tell us “It is the goodness of God that leads to repentance.” To repent is to turn around. And, that turning first and foremost is a turning to FACE GOD. And, as we learn of Jesus and as we practice the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, we become aware that though we should expect to turn and face God and get our knuckles rapped for what we have done wrong, instead we turn and receive a hug…the embrace of God’s grace and mercy. Repentance is so key to the process of working with sin. It is part of the realignment of the heart and mind and a redirecting of the will toward wanting the “good” the God wants in our lives. Next week, we discuss RESTITUTION, making amends for sin in so far as it is possible, then we wrap up our series with meditations on RECONCILIATION and RESTORATION. Please join us and work through the application of these life-giving concepts with us. NOW…Go out and make it a GREAT week! Much Love, Dr. Randy L. Rowland 2854 NW 59th Street Seattle, WA 98107 USA 206.953.0909 www.sanctuarycrc.org