**Reminder: Willard City-Wide Garage Sale**

The Willard City-Wide Garage sale is fast approaching It will be held on June 7th. See the announcement on the city's website here. So, bring your stuff/treasures to church by June 7th, and remember that you have the option of donating the proceeds from your sales to the church, or you may keep the proceeds yourself. Whatever you do, make sure to join us on June 7 for fun, food, and meeting the great folks of Willard!

We're on "The Wind"!

Not the wind that blows hard down the Kansas plains, the wind as in 88.3 fm. "The Wind" is a great Christian station and has listed our church on their "Area Church Database". You can find our listing here.

Memorial Day Tribute

Here's my small Memorial Day tribute.

First, this powerful picture (above) of a French girl decorating the graves of fallen American servicemen in France in 1945 shortly after VE Day (May 8, 1945).

Second, this powerful song by Christian musician Ray Boltz. It's called Fallen, Not Forgotten. You can watch the video here. Pay special attention to these lines in the song:

"They left behind their families/And the towns where they were born/For the rice paddies of Vietnam/And the sands of Desert Storm/They were soldiers in Korea/And World War One/And World War Two/They paid the price/Some gave their lives/And they fought for me and you."

Finally, check out these photos of the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC. I've had the privilage of visiting there. It's truly a wonderful memorial, located on the Mall adjacent to the Lincoln Memorial.

Memorial Day: More than a Monday off...

Memorial Day. A Monday's rest from work? A day for baseball? Just what is the history of Memorial Day?

"Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead".

"Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades. Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country."

That's a brief synopsis of Memorial Day.

(Source: Merchant, David M. "Memorial Day" (1994).)

Daughter of Christian music artist killed

Please keep the family of Steven Curtis Chapman in your prayers in the coming days as they mourn the loss of their little one.

From the AP:

Daughter of Christian music star killed by car
Thursday, May 22, 2008

NASHVILLE, Tenn.: The 5-year-old daughter of Grammy-winning Christian music star Steven Curtis Chapman was struck and killed Wednesday by a sport utility vehicle driven by her brother, authorities said.

The girl, Maria Sue, was hit in the driveway of the family's home Wednesday afternoon by a Toyota Land Cruiser driven by her teenage brother, said Laura McPherson, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

The brother, whose name and exact age weren't available, apparently did not see the girl, McPherson said. No charges are expected.

"It looks like a tragic accident," she said.

Several family members witnessed the accident, which happened in Williamson County just south of Nashville. The girl died later at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, hospital spokeswoman Laurie Holloway said.

In a statement, Velvet Kelm, a publicist for Chapman, said Maria was the Chapmans' youngest daughter.

Chapman, who is originally from Paducah, Ky., and his wife have promoted international adoption and have three daughters from China, including Maria. They also have three biological children.

The singer's Web site says the couple was persuaded by their oldest daughter to adopt a girl from China. The experience led the family to adopt two more children and create Shaohannah's Hope, a foundation and ministry to financially assist thousands of couples in adoption.

The Chapmans did missionary work at Chinese orphanages in 2006 and 2007, according to the Web site.

"After our first trip to China, my wife and I knew our lives were changing our eyes and hearts were opening to how big God really is, and we have wanted to experience more of that," Chapman says on the Web site.

"We've really wondered whether or not we should just go to China and stay there. But I don't think so. I believe God is saying, 'I want you to go, get your heart broken, your eyes opened, and then take this story back to the church in America and around the world.'"

The 45-year-old singer also has released a book about being a father titled "Cinderella: The Love of Daddy and his Princess." He has won five Grammy awards and 54 Dove awards from the Gospel Music Association, according to Kelm.

Blogger's note: Thoughts and messages of condolence and comfort can be sent here.

A list of Steven Curtis Chapman's studio works can be found here.

The Choice

Pastor Joel Santti: Deuteronomy 6:4-13

-The admonition to put God first: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (Deut. 6:5)

-In spite of the admonition, a choice must be made. Deuteronomy 30: 15 - See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil". (See also Deut. 30:19)

-Jesus reaffirmed Deuteronomy 6:5 in Luke 10.

-This choice has been evident from the beginning. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (Gen 2:16-17)

-God doesn't want our choices to come between us and Him.

-Yet fallen man chooses to put things between they and God (other people, jobs, money, sex, etc).

-In the garden, man chose to put creation between they and God.

-In the wilderness, the children of Israel chose to put Moses between them and God (See Exodus 20:19).

-When the Tabernacle (and later the Temple) was built, it had a barrier between they and God.

-God's ultimate desire is that these barriers be removed. This was vividly displayed in the death of Jesus Christ (see Mark 15:37-38).

Blogger's note: the largest and most consequential choice faced by unbelievers and believers alike this year will not be choosing between this guy or this guy, or this or this to drink. The largest and most consequential choice will be whether to put God first in our lives, or to leave Him an afterthought.

Notable quote...

"My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things, that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Saviour."

-John Newton (1725-1807), writer, theologian, and author of "Amazing Grace"

Sunday laugh...

I have no theological proof for this, yet my experience with my own mother testifies to the validity of the sign above. Happy Mother's Day, mom and everybody!

The Power of Godly Women

Pastor Joel Santti: 2 Timothy 1:5

1) Timothy's spiritual heritage.
-Timothy's grandmother became a believer first, then his mother.
-Paul exhorts Timothy to "continue...in the things which thou hast learned [...] knowing of whom thou hast learned them." (see full passage here)

This testifies to the power of a Godly example lived for others to see. This cannot be underestimated. See Philippians 4:9.

2) Timothy's personal testimony.
"And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." (2 Tim. 3:15)

3) Timothy's availability for service.
-Because Timothy had been impacted from such a young age by two godly women, he developed godly character and was willing to be used by God. (Acts 16:1-3)

"I will build my church..." Matthew 16:18

Above: Group photo of the organizational membership of Reconciliation Church, 5/4/08

It's Official...

We're a church!

5/4/08: The charter (organizing) service of Reconciliation Church took place this (Sunday) morning. Pastor Joel Santti was officially called as pastor. A short message was preached from 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 on the nature of reconciliation. Then, 16 individuals gave their testimonies on how they came to faith in Christ and officially signed the church covenant. It was a truly moving and historic day. Nothing can be added to what occured; the only thing which comes to mind is the latin phrase laus deo, "praise be to God".