» Follow Me Part Two

Last week our texts focused on the invitation to come and see who Jesus was and what he was doing. Philip invited Nathanael and their lives were changed forever. This week – we turn to the other thing that Jesus said – Follow Me. It’s not just about marveling at the work God does. It’s about getting involved to bring God’s kingdom here on earth. And that means saying no to our own desires.

Case in point – Jonah—after fleeing from the mission to which God was calling him (and three days and nights in the belly of the fish!)—now says “No!” to his former urges and “Yes!” to God as he sets out as God’s prophet to Nineveh. Jesus calls the disciples to say “No!” to their boats and nets and families and much of everything else they have known and to say “Yes!” to his “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.”

So a question for this week is: To what is God calling us to say “No!”? Remember, it’s not just the ugly stuff but often good things that must be denied for the sake of following Jesus. And then we must also ask in faith: To what is Jesus inviting us to say “Yes!

We Welcome.

Pathways to Prosperity will be returning February 10 to begin a 6 week course on Financial Strategies for low income families. We are excited to welcome them back – and to have their energy in the house. If you know of anyone that may benefit from this program, please contact Dianna at 973-383-4787 ext. 255

P2P is looking for some help with meal preparation for these Tuesday evenings. Here’s what Dianna sent to PTina:
Our cooking teams usually pick one Tuesday a month to prepare a meal. We reimburse up to $125/meal. We feed approximately 50 people. Cooked chickens from Costco (only $4.99 a piece) make an excellent meal served with side dishes. The team delivers the meal to the Shepherd of the Hills, assists with serving and clean-up. We use paper plates, plastic cups and plastic silverware to streamline clean-up. Volunteers with P2P meet extraordinary people who are so appreciative of all of the efforts of the volunteers.

New Members Class: Are you interested in becoming a member of Shepherd of the Hills? Are you interested in the basics of Christianity and Lutheranism? We will meet on Saturday January 24, January 31 and February 7 from 10-12. You will also be able to meet with folks from our church council and learn how your hands and feet help to make our mission of Welcome, Equip, and Sent Out come alive. Please contact Pastor Tina so we have materials for you.

We Equip.
Faith Formation:
All members are invited to participate in Outreach Sunday on January 25 – as we craft Good Neighbor bags. We’ll spend time talking about what goes into this round of giving as well as other ways we can help. We will meet in the Parish Hall.

Adult Brown Bag Bible Study @ Noon: Next week we will be studying John 6:25-29. Please let PTina know if you are interested in joining us to study this Gospel so that you can receive a learner’s guide to prepare and use.

Confirmation tonight (1/21/15)! We will continue to learn about our faith in action as we study “Christian Denominations”. Please be on time for worship at 6:30 so we end on time at 8 PM.

Looking ahead, the Middle School Retreat at Crossroads Camp and Retreat Center is April 24-26. The cost per student is $95. You may register directly with Crossroads. This is a great weekend of fun and fellowship with other youth. If you have questions, please see PTina!
We send.

Fellowship Hour: We are in need of folks to host our time of coffee and sharing on Sundays after the 10:15 am worship service. This involves setup and cleanup. Direction and help provided as needed. Sign up on white shutters.

Thrivent Action Teams: Want to do something positive to strengthen your community? Think you can organize a team to help bring it to life in 90 days or less? If you said “yes” to both, simply gather your team, submit an application to Thrivent and—once your idea is approved—you’ll receive up to $250 in “seed money” to help cover promotional, production and material expenses. This offer is for Thrivent members – and if you are wondering how you can be involved, see PTina – she’ll help you to get started.

Ecumenical Prayer Cycle: Last week, our young people learned that praying is one way to help our neighbors. This Sunday ends the Week of Prayer fro Christian Unity. But our efforts don’t stop there.

The Ecumenical Prayer Cycle enables us to journey in prayer through every region of the world and through every week of the year affirming our solidarity with Christians all over the world, brothers and sisters living in diverse situations, experiencing diverse problems and sharing diverse gifts.

This week we pray for Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden

We pray thanksgiving for the rich and varied heritage of the churches, large and small, in these Nordic countries; the ecumenical and spiritual renewal movements that bring new intensity and depth to the Christian faith; the witness for justice and peace that may become a strong example to the rest of the world; the example of giving towards the development of other peoples; the snow and skiing, woods and mountains, lakes and fjords; and the white nights of summer and the bare winter light.

We pray for the efforts to overcome violence, racial/ethnic discrimination, and the abuse of children and women; the equal rights and self-determination of the indigenous peoples; the refugees and migrants who seek a better life in these countries; and for those churches trying to find new vitality, so they can be faithful witnesses to the Gospel.