Hi All,
Just a quick reminder that we will be holding our monthly Convergent Friends Worship at Camas Friends Church this Sunday from 6:30-8pm.
1004 NE 4th Ave
Camas, WA 98607
Please spread the word far and wide. Anyone who wants to join us is invited.
The basic structure for this coming time of worship will be:
I look forward to seeing you there.
Wess
Dear Friends,
Can you believe how absolutely incredible it has been outside lately? I got the opportunity to go and see the Camas Lilies in full bloom the other day (link) and have been trying to asborb as much of this NW sun as possible. I think our girls have been at more parks in the last 2 weeks then they have been in the last 8 months combined! But I know what some of you are thinking: Some are worried this means that we will have a month of rain (we will pay for this!). Some think that this sunny weather is due to us because of all of the rain (ie. suffering) we’ve had the last couple of years. And some of you are just trying to enjoy it while we have it, waiting for it to quit at any moment. Which are you?
I am looking forward to our meeting for worship this Sunday. It’s our last Sunday in the letter of 1 John so I say we go out with a bang (not sure what that looks like just yet) and more sadly, we are going to be sending off Brad and Heather Tricola (and their lovely boys), as Brad has accepted a position at Vancouver First Friends Church. I hope you’ll be with us this Sunday as we say goodbye.
Reading for Sunday: 1 John 5:9-13
If we take human testimony at face value, how much more should we be reassured when God gives testimony as he does here, testifying concerning his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God inwardly confirms God’s testimony. Whoever refuses to believe in effect calls God a liar, refusing to believe God’s own testimony regarding his Son. This is the testimony in essence: God gave us eternal life; the life is in his Son. So, whoever has the Son, has life; whoever rejects the Son, rejects life. (1 John 5:9–13 MSG)
Queries:
In Gospel Love,
Wess
PS – If you haven’t had a chance to check out the website lately, it’s been updated some — http://camasfriends.org/
PPS – A number of you have asked to be notified when Peggy Parson’s sermon was made available online — here is the link http://camasfriends.posterous.com/god-is-love
Peace Playhouse July 10-12 @ Camas Friends Church
For the past six years Camas Friends has been hosting a summer camp we call “Peace Playhouse.” It is a 3-day camp that is open kids going into grades 4-6. The focus of the camp is on peace with self, others and creation.
If you would like to register you can do so here: online registration. Continue reading
Good Afternoon Everyone,
I trust your week is going well! I look forward to seeing many of you tonight for Soup and Bread and wanted to remind you that we have childcare available (we’ll be asking for donations to help with that) and Jason Twyman is planning to work with the older kids (8 and up).
This Sunday (mother’s day!) we will continue our reflections in 1 John. Here’s our text for the week:
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth.” (1 John 5:1–6 NRSV)
Queries:
In Gospel Love,
Wess
Good Afternoon All,
In the mix of all this exciting stuff happening this week I don’t want to overlook our gathering for worship this Sunday. I am really excited about Sunday because my good friend Peggy Parons is going to bring the message this Sunday. Peggy was the "founding" pastor of Freedom Friends Church where I just preached this past Sunday. So now we’re swapping and she’s coming up here to hang with us.
She will be continuing in 1 John with this passage:
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.
Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us. Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also. (1 John 4:7-21)
Queries:
See you all soon!
Wess
