Greetings in the Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
I’m going to go back to April one of our busiest months during Lent. We had 18 parishioners complete the 5-week Bible Study on “The Lamb of God.” On Friday, April 19th we held our Annual Good Friday Tenebrae Service. There were 58 that attended this service. Jenn Cerio our choir director put together a very powerful musical presentation performed by our choir along with the scriptures readings from some of our parishioners. It was then followed by the Drama entitled “Mary & James Under the Cross.” We received many good comments regarding our Tenebrae Service and Drama presentation. Many lives were touched that night. Praise The Lord! I want to thank Jenn Cerio, all the choir members, Elinor Fults & Briana Wignall for the duet they sang during the Tenebrae and Easter Sunday Service, also Cindy Kennedy that played Mary and Norm Chirco that played James during the drama presentation. Our Easter Sunday Worship Service ended with Communion. There were 50 in attendance for this service. Thank you to everyone that attended these services.
As we entered the month of May we celebrated the Wedding of Tim Short and Tammy Blowers on Saturday, May 4th. On Monday, May 6th we hosted the Lion’s Club Pasta Dinner for the senior Honor Society of the Weedsport Central Jr.-Sr. High School. Thank you to everyone that assisted in the kitchen, set-up, take-down, table servers, clean-up, whatever you did, just know it was greatly appreciated. Our Penny Fund for the Heifer Project has raised over $500 for the Heifer Project, a mission of our church. The Prayer Warriors continue to draw names on the second Sunday of each month to pray daily for a family that attends our church. We had 44 in attendance on Mother’s Day which included 10 children. We congratulate Michael Chirco that has graduated from Western New England University. On Sunday, May 26th A Memorial Candle was placed in the front of the altar which Bob Taylor lit to honor and remember the men and women of the armed forces that paid the ultimate sacrifice so we could have the freedoms we have today. We will never forget. I have been asked to do a Tribute in Memory of Chuck Jayne at the Law Enforcement Torch Run to be held on Thursday, June 13, 2019 at the Parking Lot of Rite Aid on Genesee Street when the Law Enforcement Runners arrive (10:00 am). Our church will be hosting the Weedsport Central Jr.-Sr. High School Baccalaureate Service on Sunday, June 23, 2019 at 7:30 pm. Our Choir will sing during this program, and I will give a message to the senior class.
You have heard me say many times God has called us to be his disciples. I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” The call of God is not just for a select few, it’s for everyone. Whether I hear God’s call or not depends on the condition of my ears and exactly what I hear depends on my spiritual attitude. In Matthew 22:14 the Bible says: “Many are called, but few are chosen.” That is few prove that they are chosen ones. The chosen ones are those that have come into a true relationship with God through Jesus Christ and have had their spiritual condition changed and their ears opened. Then they hear “the voice of the Lord” continually asking “…who will go for us?” However, God doesn’t single out someone and say, “Now, you go.” He didn’t force his will on Isaiah. Isaiah was in the presence of God, and he overheard the call. His response, performed in complete freedom, could only be to say, “Here am I! Send me.”
Remove the thought from your mind from expecting God to come and force you or plead with you. When our Lord called His disciples, he did it without irresistible pressure from the outside. The quiet, yet passionate insistence of His “Follow Me” was spoken to men whose every sense was receptive. Mathew 4:19, the Bible says: “And He said to them “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” If we will allow the Holy Spirit to bring us face to face with God, we too will hear what Isaiah heard; “the Voice of the Lord.” In perfect freedom we too will say “Here Am I! Send me.”
Keep Praying, read your Bible, and Invite someone to attend church with you.
In His Service Pastor Doug