Some Monday reflections from our first weekend in Maine...photos too


Stephanie and I walked Jasper Beach and I found this rock in the shape of Maine.  It now sits in my office across from my desk so I can pray for the state that I am in.  The beauty of this state is amazing and I want to make sure that we experience some of it while we are here.  

It was a beautiful afternoon to walk this rocky beach.  Younger ones were in the very cold waters while probably wiser ones where getting some of the sun's warm rays on this clear Maine day.

On Saturday I also had the opportunity to hike the rocky coast of Maine with 9 other men of the church.  The drive for Christian men to gather together to grow and therefore live as godly men is alive here and ready to take steps to be more organized and mobilized to reach out.  My walk along the path, single file, with these men allowed me time to listen to them share about what is going on in their lives.  I see a men's retreat coming up in the future.  (p.s. - I also got to see how a drone works!)



I also had the opportunity to join in worship with the Marshfield Congregational Church which is pastored by one of the former elders and present adult Sunday School teacher at Machias.  I was taken to see another group of believers gathering in a very simple structure to share the Lord's Supper, sing songs of our God, and hear the words of God.  It was definitely a step back in time with the announcements of the hymns by the numbers on the front wall of the church via the wooden plague pictured below if you have never seen one, but it showed me how important the preservation of the gospel is.  I grew up in churches that looked very much like the one I was in at 8 a.m. in the morning.

My weekend was full of steps forward in serving the church and community of Machias, Maine.  Thanks for "reading in" to our lives and being supportive of what God is leading us through.

 Adam & Stephanie
A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Connect a bit of Scripture with a bit of life - Spurgeon

     I heard this phrase today along with another that if you connect a bit of Scripture with a bit of life, it will end up effecting all of your life.  This came up in my study of the book of James and specifically the verses dealing with not just being a hearer of the Word but also be a doer of the Word.  It is all about application.  I can't look at preaching the Word without giving steps of applying the Word.  It really is an incomplete sermon if I don't.      Many times I think it has to be big and many points and given cute aliteration that makes it snappy and I think easy to remember and fun to write down.  Reality is, if I would make it a bit of Scripture connected to a bit of life and just that it would probably accomplish much more.  How much time I spend on the opening statement and lame joke and research and introductions and how many points and the closing statement and so little time on connecting the bit of Scripture to the bit of life.      So I guess I ha
Read more

Galatians #15 - Galatians 6:11-18 - "On The Road Again..."

Image
  Another week closer and it involves some more travel for the Wolfgangs.  I feel like the Willy Nelson song, " On the road again... "  I don't know if I agree with the next line though. " ...I can't wait to get on the road again. " One of the members of the church in Wisconsin calculated that I will travel well over 10,000 miles to make this transition.  Traveling mercies prayers please. Last Sunday we will look at Paul's final words to the churches in Galatia.  He brought them the gospel (good news) message of Jesus and what resulted were churches forming throughout the region.  The letter is to defend that message that our salvation comes from and is in Christ alone.  Christ's sacrifice on the cross was sufficient for the forgiveness of our sins.  The summary statement of the letter is found in  Galatians 6:15 (LSB) .  " For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. "  Translated another way earlier in  Ga
Read more

Sermon prep and maybe a video...

     James 4 has brought up some interesting study.  First, "the quarrels and fights among you."  Those are usually worse than you think even though we try to minimize them.  The source is simpler than you think because it is coming from within you.  The solution is easier than you think because the solution that James gives is that we need to humble ourselves before the Lord.  Any sincere resolution is specific and brief.  Beware of lengthy resolutions that usually include explaining it away or excusing some of the behavior.      As I have seen before, the words are a sign of the heart.  I read this week that if we have a critical heart we usually start by speaking evil of another to ourselves.  Then we progress to speaking evil of another to that person with a running tally in our heads of all their wrongs.  Finally, we speak evil of another to others and broadcast in a way that we are thinking that we are helping.  Giving judgment is always easier than giving mercy.  I
Read more