Sunday Morning Sermon: Sunday's sermon is titled “When Darkness Reigns” from Luke 22:47-62. The Old Testament reading Isaiah 53:1-12, and the New Testament reading is John 8:12-20.
Live streamed Virtual Church (link) is available streaming at 9:00 AM.
Virtual Foyer on Zoom (link) at 10:15 AM.
There will be only one MCC in-person service this Sunday at 9:00 AM.
The recorded services are also available on MCC YouTube Channel (Link).
Curt Deming, Teaching Pastor:
Week 51 of 52 Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know by Dave Adamson: “Mayim” = water. To better understand this word, we 21st century Florida kids need to put on our ancient goggles to consider how the ancients viewed water and large bodies of water. We enjoy our ocean and our rivers and lakes as playgrounds or at least beautiful scenery that makes it better to live here. For the ancients, the seas were associated with chaos, and they were feared. Yet the Spirit of God hovered over the waters (mayim) in Genesis 1:2, and some of the most dramatic miracles in Scripture highlight our Lord’s authority over the waters, like the Red Sea crossing and Jordan River crossing in the Old Testament and the exciting things Jesus did on the Sea of Galilee in the New Testament.
Although we do not fear the water like our ancient ancestors, we all face modern situations that threaten to become chaotic. Like the ancients, we can trust the one who continues to hover over us, throughout the Bible and through all of human history.
MCC News:
Thank you to all who helped with the memorial service for Steve Boytis. I heard from Andrea and Carol afterwards, and they and the family were appreciative.
Happy Valentine’s Day! This time last year I had no idea what was coming next, and the rest of the year was full of surprises. Among all of the other sadness of the last year, it’s a little sad that we will miss our Valentine’s Banquet in 2021, but that will just give our cooks an extra year to sharpen our skills and find the right recipe for next year. I hope and pray that we will be able to resume our Valentine’s Banquet in 2022.
Wheels for the Strunas! [The rest of this paragraph is a repeat of last week’s news.] About ten or twelve years ago, our congregation enjoyed the opportunity to sponsor a motorcycle for the Strunas. This year, I am hoping that we will be able to buy them two motorcycles (in addition to our routine support). We can do this in two stages since Sharon is still in Florida. Sharon’s Honduran commuting will not start until later in the spring. Chris lives at the orphanage where is already serving as school administrator, so he does not have to commute for daily work, but of course he will need a vehicle for other trips. The cost of a reliable, used motorcycle in their area is roughly $5000, so that is our target. I hope we can do this once in February and again in April. I will ask someone with art skills to make a chart for the wall of our foyer so we can track our progress. Please pray about how you might join this effort.
Ash Wednesday is February 17th. This year, I will publish a 40-day Bible reading calendar for those of you would like to join me in a devotional series to prepare for Easter. I will post the calendar in the comments below. I will not make daily posts about the readings. I would also ask our congregation to prepare for Easter by praying for those around you who need to hear the good news. Consider whom you might invite to church for the end of our Luke series, either virtually or in person.
I heard a rumor that I might be cleared (by all of those I submit to) to return to live Sunday morning worship services before Easter. Actually, I confess that I’m trying to start that rumor here. My plan is to continue to spread this rumor at my next doctor visit and see what happens. I’ll keep you posted.
Please join us for worship at Melbourne Community Church this weekend, however you can. The live service begins at 9:00 AM, and it is live streamed on our YouTube channel. The full service is available on our website after that.
Our “virtual foyer” Zoom meeting is a group of attenders who connect briefly (about 45 minutes) after the worship service. Newcomers are always welcome. Please let me know if you would like to join us this Sunday, and I will send you a link. — at Melbourne Community Church.