Announcements

Greetings, all.

 

Please mark your calendars for the following events:

 

1. Tomorrow is our monthly fast day. It has been previously announced that we want to observe a monthly fast on the Friday following the first Sunday in each month. Even though we forget to remind the church of this important observance, it is something we should try to share if possible. I encourage us all to do so, please.

 

2. Wednesday, December 14 during our Prayer Meeting we will observe our Love Feast in advance of our Quarterly Conference on Thursday, December 15. I encourage all members to attend and share in this important tradition of our Methodism.

 

3. Tonight, if you have BET, you may want to catch a special airing on BET at 9 PM, "The Curious Case of Citizen Cain" a documentary/news special about Herman Cain. It was apparently taped before his recent departure from the presidential race.

 

Thank you.

 

Pastor Kenneth Q. James
Psalm 119:33-34
"Let truth, the light of my heart, speak to me, and not my own darkness!"
Augustine, Confessions, Book XII, Chapter 10

Thought for today

Greetings.

 

This morning I was, as sometimes I hear the expression, "feeling a certain kind of way" (I won't get into why), and I remembered a chapter I read in a book by Lewis Smedes and I decided to revisit the chapter. The chapter is titled, "All the World's a Critic, and You're Tired of Reading the Reviews." I got the book from the bookshelf, went back and read the chapter again and found some gems there. I am sharing them now because they are helping inform Bible study tomorrow (from our lesson in Matthew 7) and possibly even the sermon for Sunday.

 

Smedes writes, "Critics are all around us: some welcomed, some self-appointed nuisances. They size us up, take our measure, weigh us in their scales, and form their own opinions of our lives...they will call us to account before the bar of their judgment.

 

"Let's begin with the critic out there - your neighbor. Saint Paul, almost offhandedly, declared his own freedom from human judgment this way: 'With me it is a small thing that I should be judged by you or any human court.' Freely translated, it comes to this: 'You will evaluate my conduct and you will make an assessment of me, I know, and when you do I will listen to you. I know that you will size up my work, and when you do, I will consider what you say. I know that you judge me because you care about me; so I will care about what you say. What you say and what you think about me matters to me. But I want you to know that after I have wrestled with my own conscience, after I have consulted my own convictions, and after I have made my decisions, your judgment will not matter much. It matters some, but not much. I will not let your appraisal tell me how to feel about what I am and what I do. I will not rest my case with you.'

 

"(Paul) does not say that he cares nothing for the feelings of other people. He says, 'I have got to put your criticism on the back burner and live my own life before the Lord. I will not be intimidated. I will not be condemned. I will not be damned by other people's judgments. I will be free.'"

 

It helps to remember what Smedes says here because when you feel that your are being criticized (rightly or wrongly) it has the effect of feeling like a very heavy burden that you are forced to carry on your back. Criticism makes life a chore; relationships can tend to become almost too tedious to enjoy. Another word for this is criticism is judging, which is a topic we are going to discuss in Bible study tomorrow at noon and 7 PM. I hope you will join us as we will seek to find constructive ways to deal with criticism and judging, and maybe even learn a few methods of living with and especially finding the freedom to put people and their criticisms and judgments of us out of our minds.

 

Pastor Kenneth Q. James
Psalm 119:33-34
"Let truth, the light of my heart, speak to me, and not my own darkness!"
Augustine, Confessions, Book XII, Chapter 10

Prayer request

To all our Memorial family:

 

I am asking, at the request of the family of Sis. Paula Clark, that we all keep in prayer Paula's sister, Claudia Ellis in Atlanta, GA. She has recently suffered a massive stroke and is paralyzed. They plan to travel and be with her net week.

Thought for the day

Good morning,

 

Today, in my devotions, I read my favorite Psalm - 139, and wanted to share the portion I read. It gave me something to think about.

 

1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me.

2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away.

3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.

4 Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely.

5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.

 

I am so encouraged today to realize that God knows EVERYTHING about me - every thought, every desire, every weakness, every failure, every challenge, every burden, every fear, every sin, every shortcoming, every mistake, every habit, every success, every strength, every ability, every gift, every talent - well, you get the idea. God knows the things that others only think they know. God knows everything others can only talk about in the shadows. God knows everything others can only whisper about behind closed doors or in hushed conversations, behind my back and out of my presence. And with all the things God knows about me, everything good, everything bad and everything ugly, not one of those things which God knows has enough power to stop God from loving me. There is no force so strong as to make God turn his back on me. And nothing - not even the things I am most ashamed of or embarrassed about - can ever prevent God from claiming me as God's own child.

 

So I decided that I was going to spend the rest of my day just being happy about that fact!

 

Pastor Kenneth Q. James
Psalm 119:33-34
"Let truth, the light of my heart, speak to me, and not my own darkness!"
Augustine, Confessions, Book XII, Chapter 10

Thought for today

Good morning, all,

 

This devotion for today from Charles H. Spurgeon seemed a fitting follow up to Sunday's sermon. Food for thought.

 

"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might."— Ecclesiastes 9:10

 

"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do," refers to works that are possible. There are many things which our heart findeth to do which we never shall do. It is well it is in our heart; but if we would be eminently useful, we must not be content with forming schemes in our heart, and talking of them; we must practically carry out "whatsoever our hand findeth to do." One good deed is more worth than a thousand brilliant theories. Let us not wait for large opportunities, or for a different kind of work, but do just the things we "find to do" day by day. We have no other time in which to live. The past is gone; the future has not arrived; we never shall have any time but time present. Then do not wait until your experience has ripened into maturity before you attempt to serve God. Endeavour now to bring forth fruit. Serve God now, but be careful as to the way in which you perform what you find to do—"do it with thy might." Do it promptly; do not fritter away your life in thinking of what you intend to do to-morrow as if that could recompense for the idleness of to-day. No man ever served God by doing things to-morrow. If we honour Christ and are blessed, it is by the things which we do to-day. Whatever you do for Christ throw your whole soul into it. Do not give Christ a little slurred labour, done as a matter of course now and then; but when you do serve Him, do it with heart, and soul, and strength.

 

But where is the might of a Christian? It is not in himself, for he is perfect weakness. His might lieth in the Lord of Hosts. Then let us seek His help; let us proceed with prayer and faith, and when we have done what our "hand findeth to do," let us wait upon the Lord for His blessing. What we do thus will be well done, and will not fail in its effect.

 

Pastor Kenneth Q. James
Psalm 119:33-34
"Let truth, the light of my heart, speak to me, and not my own darkness!"
Augustine, Confessions, Book XII, Chapter 10

Sunday's sermon: Next steps

Good morning, all,

 

First, I want to ask for your continued prayers as I travel on the campaign for the Episcopacy. And I want to send out a special "thank you" to Sis. Alma Hogan for connecting me with her family here in Memphis, Tennessee as I traveled here for the West Tennessee/Mississippi Annual Conference. I met several of her cousins last night, received a very warm reception and I was left with the impression that if they get elected delegates to the General Conference and don't support me, there is going to be some trouble in that family! Thanks so much for your support.

 

Now, I also want to have us think more and again about the worship Sunday. It was an excellent worship experience. I said on Tuesday at Bible study (evening session) that I felt that everyone came with the real intent to worship. From the start to the finish, the Spirit of God was present and felt among us. I am still reflecting and basking on the experience.

 

Let's look at the "next steps" now that God might have us take in reflection on Sunday's sermon, "Unprepared."

 

1. Are you "prepared" for the Kingdom life?

2. Are you "prepared" for the Lord's return?

3. How do you see where your life reflects the story Jesus tells in Matthew 25, i.e., virgins, lamps, oil?

4. Do you find it difficult not to "fall asleep" - that is, to pay attention to what it takes to remain focused as a believer? Why or why not?

5. What questions/thoughts/convictions were raised in your mind after hearing this sermon or reading this passage? How is God speaking to you now?

 

I hope that we will all take the time to think about this. As for me, "I just want to be right" (still singing that song!).

 

Pastor Kenneth Q. James
Psalm 119:33-34
"Let truth, the light of my heart, speak to me, and not my own darkness!"
Augustine, Confessions, Book XII, Chapter 10

Check out Do You Know the Most Dangerous Person in Your Church? by Erik Raymo

Good afternoonI am sharing this article with you, as well as with my colleagues in ministry. I'd like to hear your feedback if you are inclined to share.

 

Click here: Do You Know the Most Dangerous Person in Your Church? by Erik Raymond -SermonCentral.com

 

 

Pastor Kenneth Q. James
Psalm 119:33-34
"Let truth, the light of my heart, speak to me, and not my own darkness!"
Augustine, Confessions, Book XII, Chapter 10