"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall exalt you." -James 4:10

VIEWPOINT

The excitement over our “economic stimulus payment” reminded me of the boy who appealed to the Almighty to solve his financial problems.

Little Billy wanted money badly and prayed for two weeks. When nothing happened he decided to write God a letter requesting $100. When the postal authorities received the letter addressed to “God, USA,” they decided to send it to President Bush. The President was so impressed and touched that he instructed his secretary to send Billy a $5.00 bill. He thought this would appear to be a lot of money to a little boy.

Billy was delighted with the $5.00 and sat down to write a thank you note to God, which read: “Dear God, Thank you very much for sending the money. However, I noticed that for some reason you had to send it through Washington D.C. and, as usual, those crooks deducted $95.00. Thanks, Billy.”

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A substitute Sunday School teacher was struggling to open a combination lock on the supply cabinet. She had been told the combination, but couldn't quite remember. Finally, she went to the minister and asked for help.

The preacher came into the room and began to turn the dial. After the first two numbers he paused and stared blankly for a moment, and then he looked serenely heavenward. Suddenly he looked back at the lock and quickly turned to the final number, opening the lock.

The teacher was amazed. “I'm in awe at your faith,” she said. “It's really nothing,” the minister answered. “The number is on a piece of tape on the ceiling.”

See you Sunday with a Bible, a smile and a positive word! RA

Those Who Mourn

BLESSED are those who mourn, for they will be comforted (Matthew 5:5).

“BLESSED are those who mourn” is, paradoxically, a more necessary message than “Rejoice in the Lord always,” because there can be no true rejoicing until we have stopped running away from mourning. (Simon Tugwell, The Beatitudes)

WE WILL NEVER experience the angel of comfort until we can enter into the mourning. . . . The admission of what is deepest within us can be done only with an angel of comfort. This angel comes to us in the appearance of a total stranger or an absolute friend. (Michael H. Crosby, Spirituality of the Beatitudes)

MOURNING cannot be limited exclusively to expressing sorrow for one’s sin . . . or grief surrounding death. Rather, “those who mourn” has the more comprehensive sense of Isaiah 61:2-3, an inclusive grief that refers to the disenfranchised, contrite, and bereaved. It is an expression of the intense sense of loss, helplessness, and despair. (Robert A. Guelich, The Sermon on the Mount)

THE DISCIPLES bear the suffering laid on them only by the power of him who bears all suffering on the Cross. As bearers of suffering, they stand in communion with the crucified. They stand as strangers in the power of him who was so alien to the world that it crucified him. This is their comfort, or rather, he is their comfort, their comforter. This alien community is comforted by the Cross. (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Discipleship)

IT IS NOT ENOUGH for us … within the arena of the world’s pain merely to know of a God who sympathizes. It is not even enough to know of a God who heals. We need to know of and be connected with a God who experiences with us, for us, each grief, each wound. We need to be bonded with a God who has had nails in the hands and a spear in the heart! (Flora Slosson Wuellner, Weavings)

EVERY SUFFERING can be blessed because it hollows out a place in us for God and his comfort, which is infinite joy. (Peter Kreeft, Back to Virtue)

IT IS impossible for one to live without tears who considers things exactly as they are. (Gregory of Nyssa, De Beatitudine)

– Compiled by Richard A. Kauffman

Just a note to thank you all for the calls, cards, flowers, food and most of all your prayers and thoughts. During my my recent illness it was a comfort to have such a loving, kind and supportive church family.

I want to thank everyone for the many prayers and thoughts and cards when I was sick.

In order to get a variety of foods for this ministry, it has been suggested that different items be assigned to our Sunday School classes. Your help is appreciated.

Auditorium -- canned meat and fish; spam, corned beef, beef stew, tuna, canned ham

Fellowship Room -- individual pull-top cans, bags, or boxes of food for the homeless.

We have three graduating seniors this year: Amanda Carson (Arlington Christian), Amanda Elliott (Banneker) and Justin Melton (Northgate). We want to congratulate them and celebrate their accomplishment. We’ll have a Sunday night fellowship in honor of our graduates after the evening assembly June 1.

There will be a VBS planning session on Sunday, May 25 at 4 p.m. All comittee members please plan to attend. Even if you were unable to attend our first meeting or did not sign up yet, please come early next Sunday evening and help us get ready for our VBS: June 22-25. Call Romeo and Jodi Brinkley if you are unable to attend.

A children's event is scheduled for Saturday, May 31 at Cochran Mill Park from 10:00 until 1:00. We will have time to play and then enjoy a picnic lunch. Each family will bring their own lunch.

Justine Elliott asked for prayer Sunday. She made apologies to the church for her absence and to her family as well. We welcome her return to our church family.

Will Adamack, Craig and Sharon Hodges’ son-in-law, suffered a heart attack brought on by "heart spasms."

Walter Richards, Willie Mae Warren's brother, is now home after being in the hospital last week.

Continue to remember Susan Carson, Nell Peters, J. W. Raines, Richard Smith and Geneva White.

THOSE TO SERVE - May 27, 2008
Welcome	Ross Anderson
Song Leader	Doyle White
Opening Prayer	Keith Bearden
Lord's Table	*Jim Warren
	*Jason Ray
	Joe Mnichowski
	Tom Raines
Scripture Reading	Ed Kelly
	Exodus 3:13, 14
Closing Prayer	Joe Maddox
Welcome -PM	Ross Anderson
Song Leader	Doyle White
Opening Prayer	David Hamby
Scripture Reading	Jimmy Pulliam
	Psalm 82:3, 4
Closing Prayer	Jim May
Communion Preparation	Nancy Kirkland
Nursery Attendant	Lynn Pulliam, Sharon Hodges

Bible School	96
Worship AM	132
Worship PM	70
Wednesday Bible Study	65
Contribution	$ 5, 434.14