The Bangor Liberty Bell

Sharing the News and Views of

Bangor Liberty Friends Church

 

March 2012   Volume 33, No. 3

 Manny Garcia, Pastor

 

 

Are You Thirsty?

By Pastor Manny

 

            “Just read your Bible, pray, go to church, find a good ministry to be involved in and everything will get better.”  How many times have you heard something like this when you face a trial or experience a hurt in your life?  This has become a Christian battle cry for moving past hard times and getting “back on track”.  Not only is this a false narrative, it’s a dangerous pitfall.  Do I question the power of God’s word, of fellowship, of prayer?  Absolutely not!  But I also think that there are deeper issues in our lives that we can’t pray away, read away, or church away.  Dr. Larry Crabb offers this insight in his book Inside Out, “when relief of the inevitable pain of living in a fallen world becomes our priority, at that moment we leave the path toward pursuing God.”

Our world has convinced us that unless we have it all together we are failures.  But Jesus offers a different perspective, a true narrative; “…in this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33), “I will show him how much he must suffer for my name” (Acts 9:16), “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim 3:12).  None of these passages tell me that Christians should “have it all together”, instead they say to me that life is going to be hard, that I am going to suffer, that pain is part of the journey.

          There is more to the Christian life, however, than handling the pains of this world until we get to heaven.  Crabb says it this way:

 

Until we acknowledge painful disappointment in our circumstances and relationships (particularly the latter), we will not pursue Christ with the passion of deep thirst.  Or, to put it more simply, we rarely learn to meaningfully depend on God when our lives are comfortable. (92)

 

God promises to fulfill the desires of our hearts but no one knows our hearts better than God.  Do we desire that promotion?  Do we desire our parents to stay together?  Do we desire for our sick child to live?  Of course we do and these are all valid desires but there are deeper desires that our souls are thirsting for that we often don’t even realize.  Our deepest ingrained desire is to experience and reciprocate God’s love, that’s why He created us in the first place.  God doesn’t promise us comfort in the now, He offers us the peace of knowing that even though life is hard, even though we hurt, even though we think we need this or that, He is there and He loves us deeply.  We can count on God to provide all that’s necessary to achieve His purpose in our life but that promise does not guarantee pain-free living.  It does guarantee a deeper walk with God and a more acute awareness of His love for us. 

When life gets hard we tend to seek out joy in all of our relationships except the one with God (which is the only relationship that can offer true joy).  If we use our disappointments, hurts, and desires as motivation to move towards God rather than hide them and pretend they don’t exist we will step closer to the joy and abundant life that God will fulfill one day.  In spite of life’s pain, it is possible to remain whole.  Life can deal us some pretty rough hands but it can never rob us of God’s love, which at the core is what we long for more than anything.  So drink from the living water of God’s love whether life is smooth or rough and allow the pains of life not to debilitate you but to drive you even closer to God.

 

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

John 4:10

 

 

Remember In Prayer   

~Those who are caretakers for family

    members with health issues

~Our secret prayer partners

~Sam & Becky Barber & Family in Belize

~Morgan Martinez & her InterVarsity work in Atlanta

~Nathan, Brianna & Jacob Martin, Cambodia

~The Mesquakie Friends Center-Victor & Brenda White will be retiring.

~The Kaimosi Hospital and staff in Kenya

~Mowa Choctaw Friends Center in Alabama

~House of Compassion, clients, staff

 

 

Young Friends 2012 Camps at QH

Little Fry (K-2) June 8-10

Fry Camp (2-4) June 3-6

Fox Camp (5-6) June 24-28

Jr. High Camp (7-8) June 10-15

Sr. High Camp (9-12) June 15-20

College Weekender June 1-3

 

*Choosing which camp to attend is now determined by the last grade completed.  (exceptions may apply)

*Students who have completed 2nd grade can choose to attend Little Fry with a parent OR independently at Fry Camp.

 

 

HOC Meal Report

On February 23rd, 50 guests were served generous helpings of vegetable beef soup or potato & chicken chowder, grilled cheese sandwiches, green beans, peaches, bananas, apples, HyVee pie, apple dump cake, cookie bars, milk, juice and coffee.

Our volunteers were Ray & Robin, James & Sharon, Tom & Pat, Craig & Marlys, Chris Davis, Bill & Rosalee, Diane Rogers, Bob & Veronica who provided food or funds; Diane & Margaret who prepared; Craig & Marlys, Neil & Peg who served and stayed for clean-up. 

We learned the importance of allowing the sanitizer to warm up and how to remove a fork from the garbage disposal! Come join the fun March 29th.  You’ll be sure to receive a blessing as we serve together.

 

 

Contributions

*The church works best when we see ourselves as participants, not as spectators.

 

*When we hear the Word of God, we should then take up the work of God.

 

*The good news of Christ is too good to keep to yourself.    

 

*From Mike Martin’s monthly meeting devotions on “Stewardship” March 4th -

-Literal definition of Stewardship: “Holding in trust and managing the estate of another.”

-When giving to God, we are just taking our hands off what belongs to Him.

-Christian Stewardship is…

Being responsible before God for all that I have and all that I am.

Hitching one’s wagon to the power house behind the universe.

The measure of faithfulness in carrying out given responsibilities.

 

 

Children’s Church

Children aged 4 through 5th grade are encouraged to meet in the fellowship hall after the Children’s Message on March 4 and 11.  Lessons will teach Bible stories and encourage Godly living.  Our service projects will be to make a snack for Monthly Meeting participants and give thank you treats to our local elementary school teachers.

 

 

Liberty USFW

            Ladies of Liberty USFW will meet at Robin Willits’ home on Thursday, March 15th at 7 p.m.  Marjike Carson, a.k.a. “The Label Lady”, will be a guest.  The annual thank offering will be collected.

 

 

Secret Prayer Partners 

A revealing of prayer partners will be held on Sunday, March 18th during or after the family camp meal.  Consider joining in for the next year and let Margaret Good or Diane Teske know by April 1 if you want to participate.

 

 

Bangor USFW

           Ladies will gather at Betty’s home on March 20 at 1:30, when Barbara Jo will bring the lesson.  All women are welcome to partake of the fellowship.

 

 

HOC Supply Closet

March is one of two months we contribute to the HOC Supply Closet instead of the Union Food Pantry.  To help you remember the items needed, just think of the letter “D”.  It will remind you of Detergent, Dish soap, Drugs (over the counter medicines), Diapers and Dollars to be spent on other needed items.  Please keep these in mind as you do your shopping and consider picking up an extra item or two to share. 

Each month an average of 450 individuals or families come to the Supply Closet to choose 3 items that cannot be purchased with food stamps.  Thanks in advance for giving these practical gifts of love to our neighbors.

 

 

Forward Movement

All youth, 7th-12th grade, are invited!

Forward Movement Youth Group,

Sunday, March 4th & 18th

6:30-8:00 p.m.

Pastor Manny and Jenalee’s home,

Youth, invite your friends to join you for

fun & fellowship at the Garcia’s!

 

 

Easter Celebrations

-Sat, April 7th - Kids’ Celebration, 10-noon, crafts, activities, light meal, & egg hunt

   will be held at the church for all kids, preschoolers thru 6th graders.

-Sun, April 8th - Sunrise Service at Royal Ranch weather permitting

   Breakfast at the church

   Sunday School & Worship

 

 

A Ladies Spring Fling!
        
All ladies are invited to attend a day of fun and fellowship sponsored by United Society of Friends Women held at Marshall- town Friends Church, Saturday, April 14.  Registration begins at 9:30.  Theme: "Music from Around the World" will come together with videos of mission trips and speaker Spencer Thury of Penn Campus Ministry.  $10 covers the expenses including lunch.  Register with Ann Nichols by April 9.  Nursery care will be available.  You do not need to be a member of USFW to attend and enjoy the fellowship!

 

 

Missions News

Please remember to be generous in your giving toward Kaimosi Friends Hospital as we conclude our year of support on March 18th.  Every dollar goes a long way in Kenya and is certainly appreciated by

the nurses to help with their salaries, the patients for help with payment of services and everyone when funds are used for building upkeep.  Thank you for being faithful with your prayers and support

these past 12 months.

As our year of supporting Kaimosi Hospital ends, the Missions Committee recommended, and Monthly Meeting approved we continue collecting our 3rd Sunday mission offerings but in April begin supporting a different work each month.  This would allow us to promote more projects in various areas throughout the year.  We hope it would give people a broader view of missions both locally and around the world.

          *Our mission offering on the 3rd Sunday in April will go to Nathan and Brianna Martin serving in Cambodia.

 

 

SKY VBS
        Every kid wishes they could fly…so imagine transforming our church into the boundless blue sky!  At Sky VBS, kids discover that by trusting God, everything is possible.  Learn more about the program from their website - http://group.com/childrens-ministry/vbs/sky   Adults and teens, please pray as to how you can fit in with this important community ministry.  
        One way to help is by collecting decorations.  Look for toy airplanes, hot air balloons, puffy clouds, colorful kites—or anything that might be in the sky, like birds or stars.
        Be sure your calendars are marked for the evenings of July 16-20 so you won’t miss the fun!  Pass along this news to friends and family and get ready to fly high with God this summer!  

 

 

Library Ledge

Have Fun with Fiction

As you wait for spring, curl up with a novel from our church library.  You’ll find books and movies set in the past and in the future, in America and in other countries.  You’ll find mystery, humor, adventure and romance.  Some are audios.  Allow yourself some ‘escape’ time during March with a fiction story.  *Also notice the new books and DVD’s displayed in the entryway.  Thanks to those who donated to help keep our library filled with current and useful material.

 

 

Updates from Iowa Yearly Meeting Church Extension

The Church Extension Committee of Iowa Yearly Meeting would like to share these three praises with the larger community of Friends in Iowa.

          First, we would like to praise the Lord for the work He continues at Grace Community Friends in the Mt. Pleasant area.  Grace is one of our newest Meetings.  Friends at Grace have recently purchased a new building to use as their permanent place of worship.  This is an exciting time for Grace Friends and we celebrate this new growth spurt with them!  Debra Savage is serving as Pastor at Grace.

          Friends Church West (FCW), meeting in the CWA Wm Penn building in West Des Moines, is growing as Friends there continue to be faithful to the Spirit’s leading.  FCW has been called to minister to a large number of African, Asian, and Hispanic immigrants in the greater Des Moines area.  FCW ministers by offering classes in English as a second language, by worshipping with, and by praying for these people.  As the Spirit moves, it is becoming more and more evident there will come a time when Friends will begin another official Meeting in the Des Moines area.  The first meeting was held on Sunday, Feb. 5th.  Rich and Patty Kopp are the pastors at Friends Church West.

          African Friends in the Minneapolis area are also beginning to form an official worship group.  Church Extension has recently approved that they become affiliates of Iowa Yearly Meeting.  This group of Friends, currently under the leadership of Phena Shimaka, a William Penn alumnus, has spent many hours in prayer.  They will become known as the International Friends Church of Minneapolis. Spencer Thury, Chaplain for William Penn University, recently traveled to Minneapolis, along with other leadership from the Yearly Meeting, to participate in their first public worship service with approximately 100 worshipers in attendance.

          We invite you to praise the Lord for the work He is doing among Friends both in Iowa and Minnesota.  We also invite you to hold these new works in your prayers.  God is faithful.  It is our privilege to get to participate in His faithfulness!

-From the Feb. 2012

Iowa Friend Newsletter

 

*A cautious preacher concluded his sermon with the words: “The sinners referred to in my sermon are fictitious.  Any similarity to members of this congregation is strictly coincidental!”