From the Pastor’s Desk

Probably one of the best known verses in the Old Testament is the one found in 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and I will forgive their sin and heal their land.” This promise was given to Solomon, and the people of Israel, at the time of the dedication of the temple. But I don’t think it would be a misuse of Scripture to claim it as a promise that God would make to all of his people at all times. It seems especially applicable to our situation in the US today. Every year in the US …..

• over 957,000 marriages end in divorce
• over 15,000 people are murdered
• nearly 1,800,000 pregnancies are aborted

Have we forgotten God’s call upon us and His promises for us when we obey His Voice?

if my people – We all consider ourselves to be children of God, so he’s talking to us.

who are called by my name – children of God; Christians; God’s family

will humble themselves – When and where did we ever get the idea we didn’t need God? “Arrogance points     a finger at the problem; humility points a finger at self and admits to being part of the problem.”

and pray – Prayer in its truest sense and definition is an admission that we are not in control – God is.

Should we not act that way and acknowledge His sovereignty and pray ?

and seek my face – When was the last time we truly sought to be close enough to God to see him?

and turn from their wicked ways – probably the most difficult thing any of us would do, for two

reasons: we don’t consider ourselves wicked – we’re good people, and to turn from an established lifestyle is really difficult

then will I hear from heaven – Sure, God hears us all the time, but you know what he means.

and will forgive their sin – Oh, yes, we’re good people, but we’re good at sinning and trying to cover

it. “God despises sin. God deals with sin. Our task is to be honest about our sin.”

and will heal their land – Our great land is desperately in need of a healing in many ways and we are

fully aware of that.

Max Lucado has written a short book titled Turn in which he breaks this promise of God into several parts – all involving a necessary turn on our part. Perhaps one of our small groups (or maybe even several) would be well-advised to study this short book to see where each one of us can contribute to the healing of our land through the healing of our own spiritual lives first. Perhaps we all need to turn and realize God’s glory, turn to God in prayer, turn toward His Word, and turn to Him in repentance.  “If God’s people deliberately, strategically, intentionally, ceaselessly lifted this country to God in prayer, what might happen?”

Bible Challenge Questions

1. Who said, “Our citizenship is in heaven and we eagerly await a Savior from there, Jesus our Lord”?

2. Who accused Jesus of welcoming and eating with sinners?

3. What prophet spoke for God saying, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up. Do you not see it?

Special Worship for Lent & Easter

Our annual Palm Sunday Lovefeast & Communion will be shared on Sunday evening, March 28^th, at 6:00 PM. This special invitation to share the Lord’s Table is one of the unique Brethren ordinances we hold dear and continue to practice in spite of our modern society’s neglect of traditional Biblical activities. This moving Worship has been largely abandoned even by many Brethren folks in recent years as being no longer relevant to our faith, or as being too modernized for convenience and therefore irreverent and/or unbiblical, and devoid of its meaning and purpose (none of which is true).  Nevertheless, the invitation from Jesus to commune with Him at His Table still is extended, and the faithful still come to be challenged anew to wash the feet of a society stained by sin and apathy. The invitation is open to all believing Christians to worship at His table, share a meal with fellow believers, wash the feet of a brother or sister, and identify with our Risen Savior as we eat the Bread and drink the Cup of Christ’s body, sacrificed for us. “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who believe, it is the power of God.” Come and experience the power.

Also, on Friday, April 2^nd at 7 PM, we will gather for Worship in observance of Good Friday. Our schedule for Easter Sunday morning will be: Sunrise Worship at 6:00 (at the Kissinger’s – dress warmly!), breakfast at 8:15 in the Fellowship Hall, regular Sunday school at 9:00 and Worship Celebration at 10:15AM.

Night of Music – Support for Haiti

There will be an all-music night at the Newville Church of the Brethren on Sunday night, March 7^th at 7:00 PM. Vocalists and vocal and choral groups from many SOPA District congregations will attend and participate in this night of music. A Love Offering will be accepted during the program with all of the donations going directly toward the second week of meat canning for relief in Haiti. More info (or if you’d like to participate as part of the program) is available by calling Pastor Hess of the Newville Church at 717-776-0836.  A great night of music for a great cause.

Special Offering for March

One Great Hour of Sharing is a special relief agency of the Church of the Brethren. Since its origin, 61 years ago in 1949, OGHS has been a key channel through which our Church has supported ministries of relief aid, hunger response, and disaster aid and refugee service. Among the General Board programs supported by OGHS are development work in Sudan, disaster relief projects at home and abroad, rebuilding war-torn lives and buildings in Afghanistan, rural health care in Nigeria, oversight of the Global Food Crisis Fund, and many other relief and development projects around the world. On March 14^th, we all have the opportunity to share in this vital mission ministry of our denomination.

Nurture Team News

A new quarter of Sunday School classes begins on March 1^st. Be sure to be a part of one of them. The International Lessons class meets in the Reynold Room and will be studying “Teachings on Community” using Scripture texts from both the Old and New Testaments, including Jonah, Ruth, Colossians, and Philemon.. These are exciting and challenging lessons that call us to be serious about how to truly live in community as Christians. The Discussion class continues its study of the New Testament book of James, a very practical book of how we can put our faith into action. There is also a class for Young Adults led by Ralph Miller studying current topics of interest, and classes for children and Youth of all ages. Don’t miss this opportunity to grow in your faith by studying God’s Word.

Letter from Donna Hash

When this Home was open for us I was just 29 and I was happy to come here because my family were old. I wish they make home for people have cerebral palsy place and I said good because my family was getting old and I didn’t like Mom and Father drive to see me over at Good Shepherd Home. I know Leah because her Mother and Father brought her to Good Shepherd Home to see me. We know each other when we were little girls. My Mother made my room pretty on my door Welcome Home.                     Donna Hash

Meat Canning

The Meat Canning Project this year will again take place at the Christian Aid Ministries, 1412 Division Highway, Ephrata on April 5 – 8, and April 12 – 15, 2010. Donations will be accepted through April. For the last several years canning has been limited to one week. But due to the devastation in Haiti from the earthquake there, our District has challenged us to redouble our efforts and do two weeks worth of canning, with the entire volume of cans for the second week to be sent to Haiti. This would mean canning about 80,000 lbs of chicken at a cost approaching $90,000. This is one vital hands-on way we can all do something to ease some of the pain and hopelessness of the survivors there. Please donate generously and please consider working a shift at Christian Aid Ministries to do the actual canning of the meat. We have a group going on Tuesday, April 13^th. Will you be a part of that group? This is an experience you will never forget and is vital to the life-saving ministry of outreach to Haiti through our Disaster Relief program.

Small Groups

A number of small groups are currently meeting and extend a sincere welcome to you to join them. In addition to the ongoing Sunday school classes (quite likely the best way to join a small group) meeting every Sunday morning, there is a group studying the book of Romans every Tuesday night beginning at 7 PM; a Women’s Bible study every other Monday night (3/8, 3/22, 4/5); prayer group meeting on Friday nights (check bulletin for dates), and Women’s fellowship group. There are also a knitting group, skiing group, weight watchers group, men’s prayer breakfast group (3/20), and more in the making. Don’t miss these opportunities for growth and fellowship. Join several today. See Ralph for more info.

Get Out Your Needles!

One of the new small groups being offered is the knitters group.  This can be a “learn to knit” occasion, or if you are already a knitter or crocheter, a time to meet together to share patterns, yarn and ideas or just to get away from distractions to knit uninterrupted.  There are many charitable knitting projects.  Guideposts magazine has a children’s sweater pattern and distribution system to send them around the world.  There is a pattern from Church World Service for a baby sweater for the kits like those the Discussion Sunday School class put together.   We have already sent some hand-crafted baby blankets with the first set of kits that was sent to New Windsor Service Center for Haiti.  There are many patterns for prayer shawls and lap robes to be knitted for the sick or nursing home residents.   We will be meeting on Monday nights on the opposite weeks of the women’s Bible study.  Contact Sue Sparrow or Becky Rishel.

Final Score: Weather – 1:  MACOB – 0

With the power of a 1 – 2 punch, the snow put a hurting on the Oyster Supper for this year. After much deliberation and consultation, it has been decided that we will cancel the traditional oyster supper for this winter.  With so many other activities going on, scheduling being what it is and parking at a premium for quite some time, all things considered, it was felt that the best decision was to cancel it completely. So there will be no oyster supper for this year.

Answers to Bible Challenge questions:

1. Paul   (Phil. 3:20)      2. Pharisees and teachers of the law   (Luke 15:2)         3.  Isaiah   (Isa. 43:19)

Church Activity Schedule for March 2010

3/1    7:00  PM  Leadership Team  meeting

3/2     7:00  PM  Romans Bible study   (every Tues.)

3/4     6:00 PM             Bell Choir practice  (every week)

7:00 PM             Adult Choir practice       (every week)

8:00 PM              Praise Team practice  (every week)

3/7 9:00 AM              Sunday school

10:15 AM              Worship Celebration         “Imitation faith”                       Philippians 3:12 – 4:1

7:00  PM              Night of Music – Newville COB

3/8     6:30  PM              Women’s Bible study

3/14 9:00  AM              Sunday school

10:15 AM               Worship Celebration       “How’s your GPS?”                    Luke 13:1 – 9

3/20   7:30  AM              Men’s Prayer Breakfast

3/21 9:00  AM              Sunday school

10:15  AM              Worship Celebration “Doubting your faith?”               Isaiah 43:16 – 21

Deadline for articles for April Lamplighter

3/22    6:30  PM              Women’s Bible study

3/28 9:00 AM              Sunday school

10:15  AM             Worship Celebration        “Fear factor”                                Luke 15:1 – 3; 11 – 24

6:00  PM              Lovefeast and Communion

4/2      7:00 PM              Good Friday Worship “Beneath the Cross”

4/4                  Easter Sunday Celebration “A letter to Jesus; a letter from Jesus”     John 3:16

March Birthdays

1 Charlotte Harbaugh                         21 Dustin Rhoades
Josh Venable                              Stephanie Kern
4   Ruth Duncan                         23 Harriet Nevin
6   Kenny Laughman III             24 Jeff Baugher
8   Amanda Frey                              John Reynold
9   Rick Pavoncello                         28 Mark Baugher, Sr.
14 Nicole Witmer                         30 Barb Strawbridge