Almost Weekly Update

This past Sunday we enjoyed the company of Jose William Valencia Caicedo.  His sermon on 1 Peter was tremendous, reminding us all of our interconnectedness with one another and our dependance upon God to fulfill God's will in this world, to fulfill the Kingdom of Plentitude!  I want to thank Jeremy John for making it possible for us to experience William's incredible witness to God's love.

Thomas Merton said, "What can we gain by sailing to the moon if we are not able to cross the abyss that separates us from ourselves? This is the most important of all voyages of discovery, and without it, all the rest are not only useless, but disastrous..."  I was thinking of these words as William and his interpreter Paul shared with us God's desire for us, God's love for us.  I often wonder if we are not more often happily distracted by journeys to other worlds, planets, forests and not attentive enough to the journey that is our own heart.  For if we warm to our own hearts, our own souls, that place where God resides, then perhaps we will find that we have room for more stories like William's.  Perhaps we will find that we have more compassion than we can begin to imagine.  Then our destinations might indeed change.

Announcements:

The Extraordinary Gospel League of Social Justice will be meeting on Tuesday, 1-16-07 at 7:30 at the 'Nidge. We will be discussing our vision of The League and our possible future plans for The Commission.  So please think about how we want Reconciler to be and the sorts of social justice things that we think we should be doing as a church. Based upon that, I will write a historical report of this year's activities and draft a vision for future activities to be presented at our annual meeting/potluck. - Jeremy John

Bible Study: On January 9th we began our new Bible study on Praying the Psalms. This Bible Study will run through the season of Epiphany and conclude during Lent. All are welcome! We are reading Eugene Peterson's book Answering God: The Psalms as Tools for Prayer. Bible Study meets Wednesdays at 7:30 in the Immanuel Library. We are reading Chapter 2 for Wednesday the 17th. They're short chapters, so it's easy to catch up if you missed the first week but still want to participate.

Also, we are encouraging all who participate in Bible Study to pray a Psalm a day either individually or by joining the Community of Holy Trinity in their morning or evening prayer. Let one of the pastors know if you would like a copy of Peterson's book, and/or some direction on praying the psalms.

And feel free to come for just a single class at any time. 

Annual Meeting: Our annual meeting will happen on January 28th at 3:00. We'll gather at the parsonage (the "Nidge") for a meeting followed by a potluck, then gather in the Chapel for worship at 6:00. Please let Will Swanson know what you can bring to the potluck. This is a vital meeting in the life of our church, in which we will review the events of the past year and envision the year ahead. Where do you want Reconciler to go as a church? Come and be heard! At this annual meeting, we plan to focus less on business and more on the spiritual life of Reconciler. If you are a member -- or have simply been attending services at Reconciler --please plan to attend. This meeting matters.

MYSPACE Site: We have a new Myspace site which is available at www.myspace.com/christreconciler

Peace and All Good Things to you,

Tripp Hudgins
The Pastoral Team
Church of Jesus Christ, Reconciler