Showers of Blessing (Announcements for August 1)
Hi everyone,
As July turns to August, our minds turn to the Fall, when vacations will be over and normal rhythms of school and work will resume. God is good to give us seasons of work and rest. In grace, he gives us six days to work and one to rest and worship. In nature too, he gives us springtime and harvest, summer and winter.
I have been reminded recently to pray for rain, as we seem to be entering another period of drought. Certainly, we should pray for God to send rain to make our fields fruitful, our homes comfortable, and our forests safe.
This week I have been studying Ezekiel’s prophecy of renewal to the people of Israel. Their time in exile was like a severe drought: their lives were barren and dirty, spiritually. God promised to give them new life, including a renewed land for them to live in.
And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing. And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure in their land. (Ezekiel 34:26-27)
What a picture of God’s blessing, in sending his Spirit to bring new life to his people and to the world in which they live. God kept this promise by sending his Spirit at Pentecost, and he will perfectly fulfill this promise when the Spirit renews the heavens and the earth, including our bodies. Until then, we pray for the Spirit’s blessing on our own lives and on this world, so that barren and dirty lives (our own, and those of the world around) will become fruitful and clean.
I share all of this partly to introduce a call from our denomination to a day of prayer and fasting on August 21. The call itself is below. The session is considering exactly what our congregation might do to heed that call, but for now please take note of it and look for details to come soon.
Sincerely,
Pastor Goligher
The Lord’s Day
Sunday school is at 9:45am.
The morning service is at 11:00am. We will observe the Lord’s Supper during this service.
- Galatians 1:1-5, “Not From Men” (Pastor Goligher)
- Join All the Glorious Names #301
- Forever Settled in the Heavens #59
- O Jehovah, Hear My Words #51
The evening service is at 5:00pm.
- Philippians 4:13-21, “A Fragrant Offering” (Pastor Goligher)
- How Good it is To Thank the Lord #635
- The Beatitudes #527
Through the Week
Tuesday Bible Study will meet at 10:30am, at church and on Zoom. This week, we are studying Nehemiah 8.
Park Day is on Wednesday at 10am, at Steve Carli park in Santa Clara. Everyone is welcome, especially moms and kids.
Prayer Meeting is on Wednesday evening at 7:15pm, at church and on Zoom.
Teens will have our last meeting of the summer at Las Palmas Park on Friday, 11am-1pm. This week we are reading 1 Chronicles 16-22 and Revelation 1-5. We will also spend time planning for the event we are hosting next week.
Looking ahead
- The teens invite everyone to come to the church for a social evening on August 13 at 7pm. There will be coffee and other drinks, desserts, live music. We will also hear a lecture from Colin Redemer, vice-president of the Davenant Institute, on themes related to Christians’ experience under Soviet rule in Europe. Please RSVP to Isabel Harvey.
- We have an opportunity to volunteer at CityTeam ministries on August 28, 10am-12pm. There are still some spots available. You can sign-up at this link. If you have any questions, please speak to Scott Porter.
Call to Prayer and Fasting
The 87th General Assembly determines to call for a day of prayer and fasting on Saturday, August 21, 2021,
- that the whole church may pray as one people, and call upon the Lord with one voice,
- that we might lament our distress and unworthiness before the Lord, confess our sin, and commit ourselves anew to the faithful service of the Lord our God (DPW V, A.4);
- that we humbly implore God to send seasons of refreshment, pour His Spirit of wisdom upon us, and draw multitudes to the hope of the gospel by granting faith and repentance unto life.