PJ's October 2012 Blog

Dear Friends, Greetings to you in the powerful name of Jesus the Christ! Read the following to prepare for our Harvest Festival Ephesians 2: 19-22 I Peter 2: 4-6 Luke 10: 1-2 It is coming soon! The last of many 50th Anniversary events will take place on Sunday – October 21. This will be our 50th Anniversary Harvest Festival. Just think – it was over 50 years ago at this time of year that farm workers would show up on this land to bring in the harvest. Yes – it was on this section of land that a farmer grew tomatoes. I can seem them in my mind’s eye harvesting all those beautiful and ripe tomatoes. Now as we look back for the final time there is reason to celebrate for another kind of harvest has been taking place – it has been the harvest of the heart and soul of the lives of hundreds and thousands of people. Just like those farmers would sow the seed so have we been sowing the seed of God’s love and grace and look at the harvest God has made possible. Wow! It is time to pause and celebrate that as Paul wrote in Philippians 1: 3-6 – “that God who began this good work in you will bring it to completion.” God has done this through the power of the Holy Spirit at work through you. It has been that Holy Spirit that has nurtured and called for the harvest in the lives of so many. This is what will take place on Sunday October 21. We will gather for worship at 10:00a.m. Yes that is right – there will be only one service that morning at 10:00a.m. Paul Kacynski will be with us that Sunday morning to lead us in worship using the liturgy he shared with us in August. The focus of the worship will be to give thanks to God for the harvest these last 50 years and to prayerfully look to the future. We will seal the cornerstone at worship so be sure to share with us your ideas for what to put behind the cornerstone. Sunday school will take place during worship – it will begin after the children’s sermon. The worship & Sunday School hour will be followed by the Harvest Festival Meal – homemade booyah, homemade breads, desserts and something to drink. (No Takeouts please). We began our 50th Anniversary year in prayer and we plan to bring it to a close in prayer. There will be a 50th Anniversary Prayer Journey that I invite all to participate in. This will begin on October the 17th and end on November 25 (the last day of this liturgical year). It will take you 8 to 10 min each day but what a blessing it will be to you and to the future of Atonement. This will be on facebook, our website and in paper form. Each day you will be asked to read from the bible a certain verse and then pray. Yes it is time to Celebrate the Harvest. If you would like to help with this celebration please contact the church office! “O give Thanks to the Lord for God is good and God’s steadfast love goes on forever!” Peace in Christ, Pastor Jim Gerth (P.J.)