St. Paul’s Installs New Chimes
by Jim Hewett, Pastor
November 2, 2008 saw the dedication of a new electronic chime or carillon system for the St. Paul’s United Methodist Church. On that day we recalled and gave thanks for all our musicians and those persons who first occupied the present building on November 16,1930. The new chimes are a gift from members past and present and are especially in honor of Rosemary Belford Hood, our organist and former chime player, who has provided music for our church and community for more than 65 years.
Today, at 9 and 12 a.m. and at 3 and 6 p.m. the chimes will strike the hour and play a selection of hymns appropriate to the season. They also strike at each hour from 8 a.m. through 6 p.m. We are thrilled to have them and are grateful for the positive reception and comments we have received from many in the community.
A Ministers’ Musings
Frank Lynch
Boise City Pentecostal
Is God A Hate-filled Beady Eyed Bigot?
The Media loves to get an Evangelical minister on their shows and press him about certain core beliefs the Evangelicals hold. Most Americans have bit on their line and really believe we are beady-eyed hate filled bigots. Unfortunately, we haven’t done the best job in the world getting our position across.
Some Media folks are well versed in fundamentalist beliefs and know where to twist. Nevertheless there are some angles on this that have been studiously avoided. For example, the gay issue. Does the word of God say that homosexuality is sin? It certainly does. If I am to be a bible believing Christian, then I must accept what scripture says. Believing God ? Does that make me a bigot? I have worked with gays, served in the military with them, had them for neighbors: no problems. All the problems I see today are really contrived. Homosexuality is like any other sin. It can be forgiven. Genetic? Of course it is. All sin is genetic. We have all been born in sin. Got a problem with that? Don’t talk to me about it, I didn’t author the Bible. It is the writings of God.
Is there another way to Heaven? No, there isn’t. Does that make me a narrow minded bigot? Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. NO MAN COMETH UNTO THE FATHER BUT BY ME. I am not the author of that either. So, does that make God a hate-filled beady eyed bigot? God loves all of us so much he sent his son to die for us providing a way of forgiveness for all of us, no matter what sins we have committed. Sounds pretty open minded to me. I think some of us need to get a life: eternal life.
A Ministers’ Musings
Frank Lynch
Boise City Pentecostal
Sometimes we overlook the obvious. This particular scripture is typical of a number of others that speak of the abundant salvation that Jesus brings. He does not save us in part but in whole. Why then are there so many that fall short of that abundance? There are a number of reasons.
A Ministers’ Musings
Frank Lynch
Boise City Pentecostal
WHY JESUS WAS ACCEPTED
From the beginning Jesus was rejected by the religious leaders in Jerusalem. He was not part of the cronyism of the High Priest and his crowd. Being a Galilean he lacked the prestige of those who had attended the “best” schools and people from the Galilee were scorned. Jesus despised the elitism of the leaders and the politics of the temple. So, he turned to the disenfranchised for his audience: the poor and the sick, the lepers and the whores. They loved him. Because of one flaw or another they had been barred from the temple mount and so when this country rabbi began doing his miracles he was endeared to the hearts of the downtrodden.
Never had they seen such marvelous things nor such a compassionate minister. In the simplistic culture of the society in which they had been raised nothing exciting ever happened unless it was a wedding or a Bar Mitsvah. But the incredible miracles of Jesus, healing the blind, cleansing of the lepers and demons being cast out, it had never been seen before. And when he raised Lazarus from the dead it was apparent that some way or another he had to be disposed of by their highnesses on the hill.
It’s the same today. Jesus will never fit in with the traditional crowd. It’s the common folk who love Him. They always have and rightly so. God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble. He has never changed. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Hallelujah! What a Saviour!
A Minister’s Musings
June-04-2008
Ordean Nelson, FBC,
Boise City
“Changing Relationships”
June has arrived and along with the Cimarron wind the winds of change have also arrived in the lives of many people. High School Graduation has been held, most if not all of the universities have also already held their ceremonies. There are also many that may be thinking about a June wedding just around the corner. This time of year often brings about changes in the relationships we have cherished. For many of these relationships are ones many have had since childhood. This week I want to talk to the High School graduates who in many cases have been friends through thick and thin having grown up together you are all of a sudden looking at a new dynamic with these longtime school friend relationships.
