Bulletin - Scott Freeman

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You Might Be a Member of the Church of Christ

February 10, 2006 Scott 4 comments

(Note to Blog readers: this entry serves as my weekly bulletin article)

I don’t usually post entries from others but I find this one too good to pass up. This is from the latest edition of the Christian Chronicle . The article was written by Bobby Ross, Jr.

YOU MIGHT BE A MEMBER
IF …

With apologies to
Jeff Foxworthy of “Redneck” joke fame, you might be a member of the church of Christ ?

? If you know exactly
what song I’m talking about when I ask you to turn to number 728b.

? If you could recite
all the books of the Bible before you could even read them.

? If you know the
first and third verse of nearly every song.

? If you actually
know what a “ready recollection” is and have been thoroughly
“guide-guard-and-directed” all your life. (If you’re really a member, you know
that “guide-guard-and-directed” must be followed by “and-bring-us-back-at-the-next-appointed-time.”)

? If you think
“progressive” refers to those in the church who want a sound system and PowerPoint.

? If you can actually
read shape notes.

? If you recognize
any of these ministers by first name alone: Landon, Reuel, Prentice, Rubel,
Norvel, Flavil, Furman or Batsell.

? If you think your
chosen pew is “sacred” and no one else should sit in your spot.

? If you think the
Bible questions on Jeopardy are way
too easy.

? If you decide which
Bible translation to use based on how Acts 2:38 reads.

? If you immediately
reach for your wallet when you hear the phrase, “Now, separate and apart from
the Lord’s Supper ? ”

? If “chosen frozen”
refers to your early worship service that resembles a country church 50 years
ago, and “happy clappy” describes your late service that the chosen frozen are
deeply concerned about.

? If you know all the
words to all the verses of Trust and
Obey.

? If you’ve ever
ridden a JOY bus. (And, of course, you know that JOY stands for “Jesus” first,
“Others” second and “Yourself” last.)

? If, when you’re
happy and you know it, you clap your hands, stomp your feet and say “Amen!”

? If you’ve ever
carried your Bible in an empty casserole dish.

? If you brought that
casserole dish to the last fellowship meal, and the main ingredient in it was
cream of mushroom soup.

? If you’ve ever
heard a rambunctious young child yell “Pray for me! Pray for me!” as his mother
whisked him down the aisle to the foyer.

? If you’ve ever
wondered who Ebon Pinion was.

? If you think the
term “church of Christ humor” is an oxymoron.

? If you’ve ever
heard an announcement from the pulpit about a missing puppet.

? If you think the Chronicle is way too liberal.

? If you’ve ever
prayed for those “who are sick of this congregation.”

? If you’ve never
been to a church that wasn’t named after the street it was on.

? If you think the Chronicle is way too conservative.

? If you’ve been to a
wedding or a funeral where “the invitation” was offered.

? If you’ve stood for
13 verses of Just As I Am with the
last stanza sung softly.

Bulletin, Humor none

Welcome to Northside

February 3, 2006 Scott 4 comments

If you are reading this you are either: 1)on my blog, or 2)visiting the Northside Church of Christ

If you are visiting with us today here are some things that you should know:

We are glad that you are here.
We have this “Friend Day” every February. However, we believe that we are the friendliest church you will visit the other 51 Sundays out of the year as well.
We have classes for every age group. Anybody can help you find where you need to go.
The Steelers will win the Super Bowl today.
Children are extremely important to us. The people wearing aprons with animals on it are their teachers this morning. They love children and teach them well.
That guy leading singing is Chris Borland. He also teaches, runs our website and jumps buildings in a single bound. He may lead some songs you aren’t completely familiar with today, but follow his lead and they will be a blessing to you.
We have communion every Sunday. We believe that it is essential for us to commune with our Savior by remembering the body and blood of Jesus.
95% of us carry cell phones. Most of us turn them off or set them on vibrate during worship. Sometimes, we forget. That’s okay, too. But, if you remember, please turn them off.
We take a collection following our Communion time each week. This is for our members to give in support of our ministries here. You are not expected to give.
We will have a potluck lunch especially for you following our services. Let me tell you, it will be one of the nicest spreads you will ever see. This church can cook.
When you hear Chris lead “Jesus Loves Me” all of the children will come to the front of the auditorium. I give a short sermon-ette each week to our little ones before they are dismissed to Children’s Church.
Children’s Church is for ages 3-7.
We also have an attended nursery for ages birth-3.
Please fill out an attendance card. It will give us a record of your attendance.
There is a table set up in our foyer. We have a free gift-bag for all of our visitors today. It is our way of saying “welcome.”
Did I mention the Steelers were going to win today?
I am the preacher. I will get up at some point and talk for a while (some people say it is for a long while). If I make a joke and nobody laughs, don’t think twice about it. It happens all the time. I’m used to it.
By the way, I am a big Steelers fan.
If you are for the Seahawks, we love you too.
My sermon is titled “Jesus is Compassionate” from Lamentations 3. There are outlines available for you to take notes if you would like.
We are in the middle of a sermon series titled “The Scarlet Thread.” It shows how Jesus is foretold in the Old Testament. If you are interested in reading the sermons from any of the previous installments of this series you can do so at http://www.scottfreemansermons.blogspot.com/
I also have a blog at scottfreeman.typepad.com
We know you might have questions about our ministries or about why we do things the way we do, please ask me or one of our elders or deacons. There pictures are found on the bulletin board in the foyer.
Please stay for the potluck so we can meet you and get to know you a little better.
Above all else, we hope you are blessed today and that you experience the love of Christ.

Bulletin, Church, Jesus none

How Do You Talk to Girls?

January 27, 2006 Scott 2 comments

(Originally published January 26, 2005)I’ll never forget the moment that she asked the question,
“What are you doing tomorrow night?”

She, in this story, was Lucy**. Lucy was one of my classmates. I had known her all of my life.

We, of course, had never been friends.

You see, while I was still at a relatively young age, I
entered into an unspoken agreement with the girls at both my school and church.

That agreement was simple: I wouldn’t talk to them and they would not talk to me. As the years passed all parties remained
rigidly committed to the particulars of this contract.

Granted, there were times when it was violated for various
reasons. However, such offenses as
saying, “Excuse me,” or “Would you please pass the glue?” were often seen as
less egregious than being rude.

Needless to say, as the years passed, I grew less and less
satisfied with the terms of our agreement. I wanted to talk to girls. And I
wanted them to talk to me.

However, I was without the powers of negotiation to propose
a new accord that would be beneficial for all parties.

I wanted to talk to girls: but I was too socially awkward to know how.

I wanted girls to talk to me: but their unswerving commitment to the original treaty had not
seemed to diminish or waver over the years. They still weren’t that interested
in talking to me.

Then Lucy stepped through the red tape, alighted from the
mountain, and spoke to me.

Not only did she speak. She was asking me out! I
was
incredulous, intimidated and excited in one moment. I had broken
through to the other side. Girls now found me appealing and were
clamoring to spend time
with me.

Should I hold out for other inquiries for my time?

Should I play hard to get and tell her I was busy?

Should I pretend like I couldn’t speak English to avoid the
likelihood of embarrassing myself?

No, none of these were worthwhile options. My answer? Honesty. I wasn’t doing a thing on the night in
question.

I was totally free.

Unbooked.

I can pencil you in. Name the time.

“I’m having a surprise birthday party for my boyfriend,
Bobby. I know the two of you are
friends. Would you like to come?”

Oh.

It was one of those acceptable violations again. Politeness trumps the no-speaking rule.

Needless to say, I went. Bobby was after all, my friend. I had a great time.

Lucy gave me a ride. (I couldn’t drive yet.) We
started to talk. I can’t remember
saying anything embarrassing.

I was still a few months away from becoming semi-coherent
around girls. But this event started
the ball rolling.

In the meantime, I was happy to have been invited.

Just to have been included. Just to have my presence matter was important.

Maybe you know somebody who needs to be invited.

Who needs a place to belong.

Who is looking for connection and relationships.

Who needs to know the Lord.

Maybe they just need to be invited.

February 5^th is Bring a Friend Sunday. That is just 1 week from today.

Won’t you break the silence and invite someone?

It may make all the difference.

* Names have
been changed to protect the guilty.

Bulletin, Church, Loving People none

On Courage

January 12, 2006 Scott No comments

I would like to think that I am a courageous individual. That I would brook no indignity visited
upon me or my family.
That I would not remain silent at the lack of justice so rampant in an unjust world.
That I would rail against those who seek to suppress others and strip them of their voice.
That I would stare down any assailant.
That I would spit in the face of danger.
Scoff at the countenance of harassment.

But no, in the truest sense of the word, I’m not courageous.
It’s not that I can’t be. It’s that I’ve never had the need, nor the opportunity to be.
I’m American. Not much persecution there.
White. Nor there.
Middle class.
White collar.
Not much in my life has prepared me for doing something extra-ordinary.
And so I opt for the safe. The secure.
I typically don’t say anything at the restaurant if my order is wrong.
I walk on eggshells around people lest I say anything to offend.
I ask for little out of the fear of putting people out.

And that’s one reason that I am so intrigued by the lives of those who have done with their lives that which could be defined as courageous, even heroic.

In 1955 when E.D. Nixon suggested a young preacher to organize and lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott there was little reason to suspect that this man was anything more than a fiery and skilled homiletician.
Yet there was more, much more to Martin Luther King, Jr. He was a man of courage.
A man of conviction.
A man of peace.

He agreed to lead that boycott on one condition: that it be completely non-violent.
That, in itself, has to be seen as courageous. The human inclination would be to strike back physically.
But King went against the trend. He bucked the system.
He turned the other cheek.
For 381 days blacks in Montgomery boycotted the buses and Jim Crow itself. And they did it without violence.
Even when his house was bombed while his wife and child were inside. And even when the crowd that assembled outside his home that same night vowed retaliation he insisted on being peaceful.
At the risk of his own life he knew that true courage was found not in violence.
True courage was found not in retaliation or in raising the hand.
True courage, true greatness, was found in service.
In love and in peace.
That is what prompted him to make such statements as:
“I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so
tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the
bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.”

Such courage in the face of danger. Love in the midst of hatred.
Greatness in such a time as that.

I am fully aware of the documented moral failures that plagued King during his life. Save for Jesus Christ, the same can be said for each of us.
Yet there is much we can learn from Martin Luther King, inasmuch as he points us to Jesus.
Years later, reflecting back on those uncertain days of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, King said:

And I sat at that table thinking about that little girl and thinking about the fact that she could be taken away from me any minute. And I started thinking about a dedicated, devoted and loyal wife, who was over there asleep. . .And I got to the point that I couldn’t take it anymore. I was weak. . .
And I discovered then that religion had to become real to me, and I had to know God for myself. And I bowed down over that cup of coffee. I never will forget it. . .I prayed a prayer, and I prayed out loud that night. I said, “Lord, I’m down here trying to do what’s right. I think I’m right. I think the cause that we represent is right. But Lord, I must confess that I’m weak now. I’m faltering. I’m losing my courage.”
…And it seemed at that moment that I could hear an inner voice say to me, “Martin Luther, stand up for righteousness. Stand up for justice. Stand up for truth. And lo I will be with you, even until the end of the world.”. . .I heard the voice of Jesus saying still to fight on. He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone. No never alone. No never alone. He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone.

No, Martin Luther King was not perfect. But I am convinced that his mission was that of Christ: “…to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18:19)

This Monday, I will teach my children something of Martin Luther King. But more importantly I will teach them the lessons that he stood for.
Of peace.
Of loving your neighbors even when they hate you.
Of looking beyond skin color and seeing the child of God.
Of fighting against a world riddled by racism and bigotry.
Of living a courageous life.

Now, that I think about it. That is pretty courageous.

Bulletin, Loving People, Social Conscience none
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Happy Holidays from a Merry Christian

December 12, 2005 Scott 20 comments

I could let it bother me that some have resorted to the use of “Happy Holidays” rather than “Merry Christmas.”
I could let it bother me that corporations don’t automatically rush to worship the way I do or embrace the same ideals that I hold dear.

And I do understand why so many Christians are upset.
But this Christmas season there is so much more for me to be bothered by. Each Sunday I assemble with my brothers and sisters to commemorate the death, burial and resurrection of my Lord and Savior and so many in this world fail to even notice.
No, many people ignore Jesus each and every day. Why should one more day make that much of a difference?
And besides, that is their right, the benefit of being a free moral agent. They have the right to choose to follow Jesus or whomever they deem worthy of their devotion.
How would it be this Christmas (or holiday) season if, rather than boycotting Target or Wal-Mart, we as Christians embodied the reason for this season?
What if we were the incarnation of the Christ child in the hearts and lives of people?
What if we gave more and expected less?
What if we adopted families that were without this Christmas and infused them with the hope of salvation and the joy of Christmas fellowship?
What if we stopped criticizing the poor for failing to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and offered them a hand?
What if we spent less time spewing rhetoric and more time whispering grace?
What if we wept over EVERY life lost in war, not just the ones who wear our uniforms?
What if reached out in love to the hungry, the poor, the homosexual, those different from us and offered them hope, peace and reconciliation?
What if WE were Jesus in America?
What if we, as Christians, lived our lives in such a way that it would be impossible for anyone to deny the importance of Christmas?
What if we gave them infinite reasons to appreciate Jesus by the way we live our lives?
What if we were known as loving, grace-filled, tolerant souls who truly care about others, willing to meet them where they are and develop relationships with them that embody the person of Jesus?

You see, Jesus came to be God with us. He came into a sin-filled world to be hope and light, salt and solace. He did not come clutching a protest sign.
He did not come to organize a boycott.
He was not incarnate in efforts to incite.
He was not born as a talk-show host but as a child, innocent, meek and mild.
He did not come to instigate.
No, He came to change lives.
And He calls us to do the same.
Not through coercion. Not through crying “persecution” anytime someone disagrees with us or fails to look at things through evangelical eyes.
He calls us to go. Love our enemies, pray for those who “persecute” us.
Let’s make the reason for the season undeniable.

Understand this, it is not the world’s responsibility to come to our point of view on matters such as this.
It is our responsibility to take to the world the hope that is bound in Christmas.
You want Christmas acknowledge and embraced?
Be as Christ.

Bulletin, Jesus, Loving People, My Favorite Posts none
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On Christmas Shopping

December 2, 2005 Scott 2 comments

Have you finished your Christmas shopping?
Did you get out at 3 in the morning on Black Friday, fight the crowds and score the $6 laptop? Maybe you went for the $200 Hummer.
Some of you are already done. Everything is picked out, bought, and ready to go.
Understand this, if you are one of those people, don’t tell the rest of us. We don’t want to know that you were done back in March. We want you to be stressed like the rest of us.
If you are like me there are tons of people to buy for.
And the invariable dilemma results year after year: what do we get for these people?
There are only so many shades of ties, scents of lotion, and sizes of fruitcake that we can continue to foist on the people in our lives year after year.
There has to be some universal gift that is applicable to everyone no matter what their situation.
Let me propose to you a couple of ideas this gift-giving season that will truly embody the spirit of what Christmas is to be about.

Heifer International is an organization that is committed to ending hunger in third world countries. Through their program you can buy different animals that will enable impoverished people to become self-reliant. Go to heifer.org to learn more.

You can buy a heifer or a share of a heifer that will provide 4 gallons of milk a day for a needy family. And the first calf that your heifer has will be given to yet another family.

You can buy a llama or a share of one that will provide fleece for families to make warm clothing.

You can buy a promise basket that would give a family geese,
ducks, chickens and rabbits.

There are countless more options of different animals that you can give in the name of someone from water buffaloes to honeybees. How great it would be to receive a gift that would bless an entire family in your name.

World Vision offers similar gifts that would bless a needy family in the name of one of your regular gift recipients. Go to worldvision.org for more info.

You could send a child to school for one year for $75

You can provide clean water.

You can give to Gulf Coast victims who will have nothing this holiday season.

For just $30 a month you can sponsor a child, $35 for a hope child (an African child left orphaned by HIV/AIDS) or an entire family for $40. These costs will provide clean water, health care, education, better places to live and, most importantly, hope.

One other option is to find a needy family in this community and provide Christmas for them on behalf of your gift list.

Consider doing your gift-giving a little different this year. Give on behalf of someone else. There is a world of need out there and many ways to provide help. Skip the fruitcake and give a pig. Fore-go the cheese basket and adopt a child.
If none of these suggestions work for you find another way to truly give this Christmas season.
It’s why He came.

Bulletin, Jesus, Loving People, Social Conscience none
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50 Reasons Why I Am Thankful For This Church

November 17, 2005 Scott 1 comment

This is the friendliest congregation in town.

I serve with a godly team of supportive elders.

Our deacons are eager and willing to work.

Nelda is a tremendous secretary who is not thanked enough for her hard work.

Chris is becoming a better worship leader every day.

Our teachers are top-notch and invested in training our children.

We have a great time in fellowship.

The Scarlet Thread is showing us the centrality of Jesus throughout Scripture.

Roy Franklin does a thankless job with a remarkable benevolence ministry.

People are genuinely glad to be here. Everywhere I look I see smiling faces.

Visitors and guests are valued.

Our children’s church is second-to-none.

I am surrounded by sweet children each Sunday morning during our sermonette.

This church loves my girls.

My girls love this church.

Such great discussion on Sunday nights. You challenge me to study harder.

The Spirit of the Lord is in this place.

We have been embraced by this family.

Our Golden 60′s are an active and vital part of all we do.

Our teens inject life and vitality.

We are growing.

Wednesday nights are a success.

God is working.

Jesus is praised.

You have a desire to move forward and do great things.

There are many young families excited to do God’s work in this place.

There is a vision in this place.

Mike Thompson keeps our audio/visual running.

Corey Bates gets communion ready.

JB keeps this place clean and inviting.

We have a lot of babies.

We eat well.

We have a heart for the college students in this town.

So many people are willing to prepare meals on Wednesday.

We give away a lot of clothes to people in the community.

We give away a lot of food to people in the community.

Steve January has our visitation committee moving along.

People are willing to babysit our girls.

Have you seen our coffee mugs?

We have a new logo.

We have dreams beyond this facility.

Reggie works close by for when I lock myself out of the building.

We are actively involved in Jamaican missions.

We responded to the needs of hurricane victims.

Prayer

There is a lot of love in this place.

Our bulletin boards are getting a spruce.

It’s a great environment for talking football. Go Placemats.

You don’t complain when I preach long.

Jesus loves this church.

Have I forgotten anything?

Bulletin, Church none
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What This Church Is About

November 11, 2005 Scott 4 comments

Bulletin, Church none
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A Community…

November 4, 2005 Scott 3 comments

Another thing I love about this church family is our friendliness and our eager desire to welcome people into our midst.
The immediate love and warmth that you offer to people who are looking for a church home is refreshing and encouraging.
I have had the luxury over the years of visiting various churches (including some in this very community) and none of them are friendlier than the Northside Church of Christ.
I have been amazed at the number of churches that I have visited where people pay little attention to you, offer no welcome, provide little assistance and exhibit no delight in your attendance.
If people are looking for anonymity then there are many options for them.
But this church is not one of them.
If you are a visitor this morning and you want to duck in and out without being noticed then this congregation will be a disappointment to you.

But if you are looking for a community of warmth and acceptance you have found the right place.

At this congregation, you will be:

Warmly welcomed when you walk in the door;

Given helpful directions where to go for classes and worship;

Greeted by those who care about you;

Given information about the programs and ministries we offer;

Encouraged to return and become a part of the great things that are going on here.

In addition, we have a committee of people who are committed to making all of our visitors feel welcome and to answer any questions that you might have.
It is their job to follow up with all first time visitors with a short, personal visit. At that visit our guests will be presented with a gift bag that includes information about our church and several nice gifts.
Our gift bags are our way of welcoming you to the family at Northside and to encourage your return.
Here you will be valued and appreciated.
You will be loved and encouraged.
You will be embraced and uplifted.
You may be looking for a church but we hope that you will find so much more.
You may be looking for a congregation, we hope that you find a community.
You may be looking for friends, we hope that you will find a family.
You may be looking for answers, we hope that you find the Answer, Jesus Christ.

Here we offer love.
We offer grace.
We offer acceptance.
We offer home.

We are building a community of faith, hope and love where people meet Jesus and learn to walk with Him.

Come and join us. We have been waiting for you.

Bulletin, Church none
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Children Matter

October 28, 2005 Scott 6 comments

One of the things I love most about this church family is our commitment to children.
This is so immensely important to me, not just because I have three beautiful girls, but because I believe that is what Jesus would have us do.
If we are not intentional about our ministry to children then we are unfaithful to what God has called us to be.
It is imperative to us that our children learn of Jesus and the love and grace that He offers to each of us.
That is why I am so excited about what our children’s ministry has done in such a short amount of time to make the Northside Church of Christ the place to be for children.
As you arrived here this morning (Sunday) you saw our hallways teeming with smiling faces. You probably noticed some people wearing aprons that feature different animals. Those aprons let our children know who there teachers are: The animals are each connected to a specific class.
Not only are our children immediately greeted when they arrive, they all meet together for the first few minutes of class to sing songs and to experience how special they are to us. They then dismiss to their respective, age-appropriate classes.
We don’t forget our children during our worship service either. When you hear us sing “Jesus Loves Me” you will see a sea of children (all ages welcome) descend upon the pulpit for a short “sermonette” designed specifically for them. (People tell me I shouldn’t ask them questions up there because I don’t know what they are going to say. But that is exactly why I ask the questions!)
After the sermonette they are dismissed to their very own children’s church. Children’s Church is for ages 3-7 (We also have an attended nursery for ages birth-3.)
The room that we use for Children’s Church has recently been remodeled and redecorated. If you haven’t seen it, make sure you go by and check it out. It’s amazing. I hope that we can do something similar in each of our classrooms.

Every week our children learn a memory verse that ties in to that week’s lesson.
Every week our children study God’s word and begin to learn the importance of application.
Every week our children sing songs of praise to their God.
Every week our children learn the importance of giving.
Every week our children learn the most important truth they will ever know: Jesus loves them.

I am so thankful for our children’s ministry and the sweet and precious ladies who have invested so much of themselves to truly make Northside a place where children long to be.
I think we see that in the visitors that we are attracting.
So, thank you Angela
Thank you Missty.
Thank you Jill.
Thank you Tracy.
Thank you Mandy.
Thanks to all of you who have invested time, money, love and prayers to make our children’s ministry so effective.

The book of Judges is a cautionary tale about failing to instill in the coming generations a love for God and an understanding of who He is. Because of the dereliction of the Israelite people their children drifted from God. Horrendous consequences resulted.
As Harold Korver has stated, “If you don’t make a habit out of going to church each Sunday, you shoot yourself in the foot, your children in the leg, and your grandchildren in the heart.”

Because of the work of these special people and our commitment to children in this place we can ensure that they will be taught the love of God.
We can find no higher calling than that.

Bulletin, Church, Family none
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