Worship for August 31st.
This Sunday continues our “Generation Xodus” series with Andy’s sermon entitled “Who Am I?” We’ll discover the mysteries of burning bushes and how they helped Moses discover who he is. The scripture for this coming Sunday is Exodus 3:1-15. Chris Upp will be singing the Offertory at 8:20 and 10:50 and Rob Gentry will be singing at 9:30.
To prepare for the next chapter in this journey we are asking you to read Exodus, Chapters 1 and 2.
Pastor’s Note.
Hi everyone,
The “Journey of Lifetime” is off to a wonderful start. Last Sunday we began a worship series focusing on “Generation Xodus,” the new generation of Israelites whom God delivered from slavery in Egypt, and their journey through the wilderness, surrounded by the presence of God.
In order to keep up with the story together, I am hopeful that we will all read through Exodus chapter 2 before Sunday. Then this Sunday, we’ll read the story of “The Burning Bush” from Exodus 3:1-15.
The thought of a bush burning and yet not being consumed by the flames reminds me of an image recently imprinted upon the world’s collective memory. In Beijing, the Olympic torch was recently perched atop the “bird’s nest,” the stadium in which the track and field events were held. There it was for the entire sixteen day Olympic festival, burning as a symbol of international peace and unity.
Like some kind of divine Olympic torch, Moses’ bush burns steadily and brightly, never running out of fuel. It is a sign of God’s presence, and it definitely catches Moses’ attention! He turns aside to see the flame, which gives God an opportunity to call to him and set him upon his task.
Though it may be cliché, think for a moment about what “burning bushes” God may be putting in your way in order to catch your attention. They are probably nothing nearly as dramatic as the one from our story, but most likely they are there – just those little moments every now and then when God says, “Psst! I’m over here! And I see you!”
The Olympic torch has a divine origin, in fact. It reminded the ancient Greeks of the story of Prometheus stealing fire from Zeus and bringing it to mortals. It was reintroduced into the games in 1928 in Amsterdam, and has truly become a powerful symbol of our common humanity, in spite of our national distinctions. It certainly caught my attention this year, and turned me aside from my routine in order to appreciate our global family for a little while.
This week, as we continue our journey together through the book of Exodus, my prayer is that the unquenchable fire of God’s presence will be with us. Actually I know it will be, and so my prayer is that we will notice it and turn aside from our routine long enough to allow God to speak with us for a while.
I’ll see you in church,
Andy B.
What’s New on the Website?
Complete information on the “Campbell Connect” Wednesday night program is available, including the meal menu!
What’s Happening! The Campbell Calendar has a complete listing of all activities.
The mission of Campbell UMC is to live as a community of Christian encouragement, to grow in faith, love, and service, and to invite others to share the journey. The United Methodist Church will be sending postcards to 1,046,215 residents in Springfield, Kansas City, and St. Louis to invite people to check out a United Methodist church in their area. The district office is making available door hangers for us to take into our neighborhoods to invite our neighbors to check out Campbell.
On September 6th from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. we want to encourage you to join us in taking these door hangers into the neighborhoods and apartment complexes surrounding Campbell. There are exciting things happening at our church and now is a great time to invite others to join the journey with us. If you have any questions about what this day will involve, please contact Kris at kkeller@campbellumc.org. You can also find more information about this campaign by clicking here.
Grace and Peace, Kris Keller, Director of Youth Ministries
Don’t forget the Concert for the Piano at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 7th in the Campbell Sanctuary. Performers will include David and Gabriel Ting, Ruth Thorne, Stacy Crossen, Andy and Erin Bryan, Dr. Linda Ligate, Janice Fulbright and Betty Salmon.
Your donations to support the piano fund may be sent in advance or brought to the concert. There will be no admission price for the concert. Invite your friends for a great evening of entertainment.
Campbell Connect starts on September 10th with a “Connection to or Community” session on disaster preparedness. Our regular class schedule starts the following Wednesday on September 17th and runs through October 15th. We will be serving dinner starting at 5:30 p.m. and classes go from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. You can find complete information on all the activities in this family-oriented program on the CamBlog website by clicking on “Campbell Connect.”
Adult Education gets back into full swing with classes on Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Thursday morning. You can find an up to date class schedule on the Adult Education page of our website.
School Supplies for Rainbow Network. Campbell is collecting pencils, erasers, notebook paper, glue, crayons, scissors, rulers and other school supplies to send to Nicaragua to students. There are two gift boxes outside the fellowship hall to drop of donations. Thank you for your generosity.
The Photo Directory Signups are continuing. You can sign up at home (click on the Photo Directory Signups link) or, if you don’t have an internet connection, you can use the kiosk in the Hospitality Room. Photos will be taken from September 22-27.
Committee Meetings. (These are open to all members of Campbell UMC unless noted.)
The Missions Committee will meet on Tuesday, September 2nd @ 6:30 p.m. in the Hospitality Room.
The Music and Worship Committee will meet on Thursday, September 4th @ 7:00 p.m. in the Mini-Kitchen.
Youth News.
There will be NO Youth Group on August 31st!
On September 7th our Snack supper will be served at 5:15 and then we will join the rest of the church for the Piano Concert. Youth activities will follow the concert if time permits.
On September 13th the 6th graders and mentors will head off to Worlds of Fun in Kansas City from 7:00 am-8:00 pm. We will eat lunch at the park and eat dinner on the way home. Cost for 6th graders is $25, plus money for lunch in the park and dinner on the way home.
Bible study resumes on Wednesday, September 17th from 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Don’t miss “Barn Time” on Wednesday afternoons from 3:30-6:30!
Our first High School Only Friday Night Movie Night will take place on Friday, September 19th. Be sure to vote for your movie choice on the Youth group’s FaceBook page! Movie Night will go from 9:30-11:30 p.m.
Weekly Statistics.
Worship Attendance: 557 Sunday School Attendance: 261
Weekly Need: $17,240 Sunday’s Offering: $10,226
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