Saturday, January 31, 2009

Pastor Wesley called me from Liberia yesterday morning to announce that the Radio Station had just broadcast its first test. He says the signal is strong and sounds very excited. An old contact, Pastor Sawyer (from Queens, NY) helped when he heard the news about the fire. I am grateful for that sign of support. May God bless this endeavor as Pastor Wesley continues to work while its day. This is a non-profit station so they are not able to sell advertisements. The generator that Service to Servants installed onsite runs on fuel oil. That is how they are able to produce electricity for the studio and transmitter.

Pastor Wesley says that the local church has about 85 people in Sunday attendance and that everyone is working together. I hope to one day return to Liberia and see all that has happened.

I came to the church this morning to open the doors for those who will commemorate the life and ministry of Dr. Louis Hertz. Dr. Hertz apparently was a great friend to those who have struggled with drug and alcohol addiction.

A friend that I met through the Union Gospel Mission (Leonard from Lincoln) asked if they could host the Memorial Service for Dr. Hertz here. The folks are just starting to arrive.

Leonard introduced me to Pastor Charles Kellar who is participating in the Memorial. Pastor Kellar once was an Interim Pastor here at Bell Road.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Today there has been much prayer from our campus. This Sunday we will share the Lord's Supper together and then experience a brief, interactive message entitled

           In Step with the Spirit: Unity

It may be helpful for us to all review last Sunday's Video entitled "Our Church Covenant"  click here

* If it takes too long to load, one can click on the box below for a more compressed version:

    Our Church Covenant

Friday, January 23, 2009

I had coffee today with the local Presbyterian pastor. Afterwards, I showed him this video I had made this week:
 

   It's Friday...but Sunday's Coming!
   The seasonal quiescence of winter months
    may seem relatively inactive. Certain processes
    are slowed down or even suspended.
   
    It's Friday...but Sunday's coming!

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Brace yourself for last Sunday's Message:

This morning we begin another 40 Days of corporate prayer among the members of our local church family. I am taking a copy of Rick's prayer for the new President in to the Genesis room to consider as we pray here in Auburn.

We will also be praying together tonight at 7pm.
Join us.

 

WARREN: Let us pray.

Almighty God, our father, everything we see and everything we can’t see exists because of you alone. It all comes from you, it all belongs to you. It all exists for your glory. History is your story. The Scripture tells us “Hear, oh Israel, the Lord is our god; the Lord is one.” And you are the compassionate and merciful one. And you are loving to everyone you have made.

Now today, we rejoice not only in America’s peaceful transfer of power for the 44th time. We celebrate a hinge-point of history with the inauguration of our first African-American president of the United States.

(APPLAUSE)

We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequaled possibility, where the son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership.

WARREN: And we know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of witnesses are shouting in Heaven.

Give to our new president Barrack Obama the wisdom to lead us with humility, the courage to lead us with integrity, the compassion to lead us with generosity. Bless and protect him, his family, Vice President Biden, the Cabinet, and every one of our freely elected leaders.

Help us, oh God, to remember that we are Americans, united not by race or religion or blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all.

WARREN: When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you, forgive us. When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone, forgive us. When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the Earth with the respect that they deserve, forgive us.

And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches, and civility in our attitudes, even when we differ.

Help us to share, to serve and to seek the common good of all.

WARREN: May all people of good will today join together to work for a more just, a more healthy and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet. And may we never forget that one day all nations and all people will stand accountable before you.

We now commit our new president and his wife, Michelle and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, into your loving care.

I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life, Yeshua, Essa (ph), Jesus, Jesus, who taught us to pray, “Our Father who art in Heaven hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.”

Amen.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

I hope you enjoy this short video clip.


Room at the Cross

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

The abridged message is uploaded (Back to the Future 2) and ready for your hearing.

Anyone wanting to hear the full message will need to write me for a private link:  pastorob@gmail.com

Monday, January 12, 2009

Very interesting service yesterday morning (and another in the evening). I'm in the office preparing the morning message for publication but a call came in from a brother that needs a walk-n-talk so it will be up soon.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

This morning's Men's Breakfast involved an announcement that had potential to spur us all on as brothers who pray for each other.

Kitchen clean-up allows for more discussion. We also worked at taking down Christmas decorations. Others are cleaning out the prop room.

I'm curious about the outcome of friends who were scheduled to install a large generator at the site of Greater Love's sanctuary, medical clinic, radio studio, etc. This was supposed to take place on Wednesday (Day 9) but the extended journal hasn't been updated past Tuesday.

    follow Rodney's trip to Liberia

Friday, January 2, 2009

Macdonald Wreh called me this morning. We had a good chat about recent events.

Rodney Edwards is still in Liberia (with his daughter, Elizabeth). The college students from 12 Stone Church have arrived.

  "We first stopped by Greater Love Church and
  Pastor Wesley gave everyone a tour of the facilities. 
  We will be installing a generator there starting on
  Wednesday morning.  It is always good to spend time
  with Pastor Wesley.  He’s a good man."

Click here for a page with photos from that day. If you scroll down, you'll see a few shots from their time at Greater Love Bible Baptist Church. There is a shot of the students inside the Greater Love Medical Clinic. I was happy to see shots inside the sanctuary we helped to build back in 2003-04.

At the local church front, Lou called with a song on his heart. Jean called with some helpful stats. Stan from the 7th Day church called asking for help with nursery. I gave him Mary's number.

In our free time, Cathy and I have been working hard at paring down our possessions. I own many books and have amassed a great deal of paperwork, tapes, and CDs over the years. Yes, we're working through it.

We have never tried to sell anything on Craig's List before. Here is my first attempt with a vintage amplifier:  Fender Leslie Model 910

This model was used by the McCartneys as I've seen it on the DVD Wingspan. I think it was also used to modify guitar sounds on the White Album and Abbey Road.