Vacations & a TV Show I HIGHLY Recommend
Dear church,
I’m on vacation, church. I’ll be spending a little relaxing, reading, and Libby and I will be spending some time visiting some of my family in Southern California. I’m very grateful to the elders for the time off and would love for you to pray that I would be refreshed during my time away from the work of the ministry. I plan on doing some reading while on vacation. I’m not sure how you approach a vacation but one of the things I like to do is pick out a book I’ll read while on vacation. One of the books I’ve picked out is ‘The Greatest Game Ever Played’ by Mark Frost. It chronicles the U.S. Open way back in 1913 and the competition between professional Harry Vardon and amateur Francis Ouimet. This event is largely considered the birthplace of modern golf. As I mentioned, we’ll also be spending some time with my family in Southern California. We’ll be traveling with our four-month-old foster baby, and we would really appreciate prayers for traveling mercies and great memories to be made. By the way, if you need anything while I’m on vacation, feel free to get a hold of Pastor Darren or Dean Soper (chairman of our elders). They will be happy to assist in my absence.
Recently, Libby and I finished watching two seasons of the best TV series I’ve seen in a long time. It’s called ‘The Chosen’. It’s available to watch by going here. It chronicles the life of Jesus through the Gospels. When I first heard about this series I was very skeptical. If you are like me, you have seen tv shows and movies come and go that feature Jesus and the Gospels. Most of the time they are (unfortunately) poorly made, inaccurate, or feature poor acting (or all three!). This show is so different and so much better than any of my expectations. First, the production is incredible. The scenes, wardrobes, accents, all are very authentic and believable. They take special care to honor the Jewish culture and tradition while bringing to life the narrative found in the Gospels. Second, they are accurate to what is recorded in the Gospels. When there is the uncertainty of facts that help move along the story, they use well-reasoned judgment to bridge the gap to enhance the storytelling. Third, the acting is incredible! There are so many moments from the first two seasons that moved me, primarily because the actors are really gifted. There is genuine emotion when it is called for and you will find yourself, like me, in laughter and tears as they bring the Gospel to life. From the first episodes, Libby and I were captivated and found ourselves laughing, in tears, in worship, and in prayer while watching the series. There are two seasons out and they can be watched free of charge at the website I mentioned earlier. The first season is available on YouTube – just search ‘The Chosen’. There are eight episodes, and they are fantastic, and I highly recommend them!
While I’m on vacation you’ll have the privilege of hearing two great messages. The first will be this Sunday, September 26th from Dr. Bruce Russell from Philippians 4. Many of you may remember Bruce who grew up in this church and served as pastor here at First Christian Church for twenty-five years. He is a dear friend of our church and I’m excited for you to hear from him this coming Sunday. Then on Sunday, October 3rd we will be hearing from Pastor Darren Dickson. One of the great gifts over the last almost six years of serving as pastor here at First Christian is the friendship I’ve been able to develop with Darren. I love him dearly as a brother and I’m excited for you to hear from his heart.
I don’t want to look forward too much but on Sunday, October 10th we will begin a new series based on the life of Elisha called Faith over Fear. Fear creeps into all of our lives, doesn’t’ it? Where does fear show up in your lives? Are you holding back because of fear? I don’t know about you, but I do not want to live in fear. Recently I’ve been really encouraged by reading about the Old Testament prophet Elisha. For four weeks, we will look at his life and praying together that we start choosing faith over fear. This means taking risks and making decisions the world doesn't understand. But make no mistake, it's a worthy decision. I’m looking forward to studying with you! Speaking of studying, it’s not too late to sign up and plan on being here for our All Church Bible Study that begins on Wednesday, October 6th. We’ll be going verse by verse through the book of Philippians as we discover A Guide to Joy. For more information or to sign up, reply to this email or call the church office at (541) 672-4566.
I love you, church. I am grateful to God for the honor and privilege of serving as your pastor.
Blessings,
Pastor Daniel
(In upcoming issues of ‘Dear church’ I’ll tell you about road trips with a four-month-old and how I start my mornings each and every day)
