Isn't it nice to feel the warmth and change of pace that summer brings? It's lovely to take a walk, hit a golf ball and have a little bit more laid back season than we seem to have the rest of the year. Please, make the most of your summer.
To encourage all of us in our walk with God during Summer 2009, we will embark upon a sermon series of "OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS AS I SEE THEM". During this series, staff members including myself, Summer Mohrlang and Mark Mohrlang are going to share our perspectives on some of the key characters in the Old Testament. We will kick it off on the 12th of July with Adam and navigate our way through the narratives and biographies of 10 fascinating characters who encountered God profoundly in the midst of their world.
One of the things that I love about the characters of the Old Testament is how absolutely REAL these folks are. Foreparents such as Adam and Eve are blessed to relate with God up close and in person. Yet, they are the consummate villains as their pride and lack of control rebels against the Almighty One.
It is our sincere hope that as we come together week in and week out this summer, we will see how GREAT, how ORDINARY and how FLAWED these dear friends of God were. This gives me hope. How about you?
Whether your life is a mess right now and you are hiding out among the fig leaves and wine vats like Adam, Eve and Gideon, or you are walking tall and strong like David, Deborah and Esther, please join us weekly for your taste of what it means to live Real faith in Real life, just like men and women of Old.
And, by the way, feel free to bring your friends, co-workers and visitors from out of town by church. We will continue providing stimulating worship, fellowship, coffee after service at The Green Bean and monthly brunches on the first Sunday throughout the summer of 2009!
Hope you enjoy some hot fun in the Summer Time.
Much Love,
Randy Rowland
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As the cold, rainy Seattle spring grudgingly gives way to a slightly warmer, slightly sunnier Seattle summer I'm watching with excitement as carrots, onions, potatoes and a myriad of other interesting plants slowly begin to claim their territory and to win the battle against the terrorist squirrels in my backyard. For what seemed like AGES the little seedlings I'd set out appeared to be losing the battle against the ravages of late snowstorms, torrential rains and the curious fingers of squirrels dead set on uprooting everything I'd so carefully rooted. But praise God, summer is coming and new life is blooming in small pockets all over my backyard!
I'm excited to report that new life is also blooming this spring at our church's outreach, the Green Bean Coffee House. I shared, a few weeks ago in a sermon, that we were in need of more workers to go out into this harvest field. I'm thrilled to report that we currently have 30 active volunteers at the Bean busily baking, cleaning, serving coffee and joyfully caring for the customers who come looking for caffeine and community! One afternoon last week I stopped to count and realized that we'd had TEN different people working behind the counter on that particular day alone! A HUGE thank you is owed to Paula Kett who's taken on the epic task of training this mighty band of eager volunteers.
Recently, after the service on Sunday, one such group, made of 12 folks from Sanctuary and the community, came and breathed new life into the Bean by devoting an entire afternoon to scrubbing the store from top to bottom...I personally witnessed Rebecca Miller dusting tea cups, Denise and Bob Jackson cleaning, and recleaning the floors with a power washer, John Eidson installing outlets and shelves, Rachel & Joe Dieleman cleaning every surface behind the counter, Sara Caldwell scrubbing every surface in the rest of the store...and those are only the people I SAW!
As the summer arrives and your schedule becomes a bit more flexible, I hope you'll consider building occasional stops at the Bean into your schedule. If you come, ask whoever's working to introduce you to one of our regulars and be prepared for God to begin expanding his kingdom right then and there as you share Christ's community with another. Or maybe now's the time to attend one of our volunteer orientations and to begin exploring how God wants to use YOU to breathe new life into the ministry of the Bean! Please let us know if you'd like to talk with someone about ways you could use your gifts here. We'd LOVE to have you!!!
Shalom,
Summer
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