Spring is here and that means it is time to grab a shovel, paint brush, hammer, or scrub bucket and beautify the church. We have many different projects that need done, especially some loose ends after our latest building project. There is something for everyone – no matter your abilities or experience. Just come and join in the fun!
Mark your calendar and plan to attend our church work day on
Saturday, May 11th from 8am – 1pm
After a brief delay, we are excited to announce that we are going to be starting a Love and Logic® class for parents this coming Sunday.
If you are not familiar with Love and Logic® it provides simple and practical techniques to help parents with kids of all ages:
Love and Logic® is a philosophy founded in 1977 by Jim Fay and Foster W. Cline, M.D. It is the approach of choice among leading educators, parents, and other professionals worldwide.
We are excited about offering this class during the Adult Sunday School hour beginning this Sunday at 9:30am. Meg Feicht, our SCS preschool teacher and dedicated parent will be teaching the class. We guarantee it will be a great time of learning a growth! Child care will be provided! Please let the church know if you will need childcare so we know how many to plan for – thank you!
“The do it yourself, self-help culture of North America has so thoroughly permeated our imagination that we ordinarily don’t give attention to the biggest thing of all — resurrection. And the reason we don’t is because resurrection isn’t something we can use or control or manipulate or improve on.” Eugene Peterson, (Living the Resurrection)
I love Holy Week and Resurrection Sunday. This is one of my favorite times in the church year. Many people get caught up in Easter egg hunts and baskets, nice dinners or wearing new clothes to church.
For Christians, there should be no distraction with shopping, gifts or chocolate bunnies. Instead, the symbolism and beauty of Holy Week should far outweigh commercialism. Our attention should be solely on Jesus and His resurrection.
Yet we are easily preoccupied. Sometimes it’s a struggle to see relevance in an event that took place so long ago. One big problem for Christians is that the resurrection has become an event that “happened,” instead of an ongoing part of our lives.
Preparing for Holy Week this year, I found Scripture verses that may help us to see anew the “resurrection life” we have been given. I use Eugene Peterson’s “The Message” edition of the Bible to emphasize this theme.
“The whole congregation of believers was united as one — one heart, one mind! They didn’t even claim ownership of their own possessions. No one said, ‘That’s mine; you can’t have it.’ They shared everything. The apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Master Jesus, and grace was on all of them.” Acts 4:32-33 (MSG)
Right in the center of those first Christians’ daily lives was the resurrection. It’s like the first cup of coffee in the morning, our eyes are opened, and we’re ready for the day. Christ has risen, just as He said.
Because He did, everything is possible.
When we look at the cross through our modern worldview, we see it as the motivation for the first Christians. But the cross wasn’t the focus; it was the resurrection.
“If, when we were at our worst, we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrificial death of His Son. Now that we’re at our best, just think of how our lives will expand and deepen by means of His resurrection life! Now that we have actually received this amazing friendship with God, we are no longer content to simply say it in plodding prose. We sing and shout our praises to God through Jesus, the Messiah!” Romans 5:10-11
The resurrection was the ultimate reminder of God’s power and love. The first Christians basked in it, rejoiced because of it, lived in it — every single day. The resurrection wasn’t just about receiving eternal life; it was about fully living life in the here and now. This life after the resurrection is full of opportunities and possibilities.
“God’s Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go! This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike ‘What’s next, Papa?'” Romans 8:14.
It provided a barrier against all the hazards and hardships that the first Christians faced, and provided them with a glimpse of God’s glory and His grace. It was motivation enough to endure, but not just endure — to undergo the worst that life could bring and ultimately take a stand.
“I look death in the face practically every day I live. Do you think I’d do this if I wasn’t convinced of your resurrection and mine as guaranteed by the resurrected Messiah Jesus? Do you think I was just trying to act heroic when I fought the wild beasts at Ephesus, hoping it wouldn’t be the end of me? Not on your life! It’s resurrection, resurrection, always resurrection, that undergirds what I do and say, the way I live.” 1 Corinthians 15:31-32.
Friends, we need to learn to “live the resurrection.” We’ve been given a new lease on life, as well as a new life today and a new life tomorrow and beyond. Too often we take this resurrection for granted, become complacent and “run through the motions” of faith. We must remember that we have been led from prison cells into the wide open spaces of God’s love and eternal power.
“So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you.
Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ — that’s where the action is. See things from His perspective.
“Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life, even though invisible to spectators, is with Christ in God. He is your life.” Col 3:1-3.
Look up and come together to see where our freedom takes us — where this incredible opening we have in the veil of this life leads us into “resurrection life” today, tomorrow and the days after that.
Meditating on the events of Jesus’ final days and his resurrection can be profound. The challenge for most of us is shutting out the noise and distractions of everyday life long enough to quiet our souls and listen to the Spirit of God.
To help you experience Christ’s passion more fully this holy week, we have put together an interactive, self-led devotional experience, The Journey to the Cross. It will be open for you to journey three times during this holy week.
Come at any time during the set times, but plan to journey for at least 20 minutes – and stay as long as you need. The Journey takes place in the gymnasium.
We hope this will be a powerful experience to prepare you for our Lord’s resurrection!
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Marilee Anglin, a resident of Woodburn, Oregon for twenty-five years, went to be with her Lord after a valiant eleven year battle with breast cancer. She was born the 28th of December 1952 in Turlock, California to Edward and Gula Blews. She left with Jesus the 11th of March 2013 from her home in Woodburn.
A celebration of life was held at Silverton Friends Church on Saturday the 16th of March 2013. [To listen to a recording of the service: CLICK HERE. As well you can download the bulletin here: 3-13 Marilee Anglin]
Marilee ministered as a teacher at Willamette Valley Christian School, as director and teacher of Little Lambs Preschool for many years, and as a volunteer for Woodburn School Districts on the original Strategic Planning Team. She mentored many young families in the Woodburn and surrounding communities, and reached out to many as a Love and Logic instructor.
Marilee was a vibrant Christian her entire life and worshiped regularly with her community. She served with her husband for over thirty years in pastoral ministry. They worked faithfully together in the Free Methodist and Friends (Quaker) churches.
Marilee is survived by her husband of forty years, Eric Anglin, daughter Lorinda Compton (Eric), daughter Joy Dalmon (Cyril), son Eric Anglin Jr. (Nicole), son Cameron Anglin, son Andrew Delacy (Brianna), and five grandchildren.
If you would like to make a gift, the family would appreciate donations to the International Children’s Fund, made in Marilee’s name.
We ask you to keep Eric and the family in your thoughts and prayers as they rejoice in Marilee’s homecoming!
The season of Lent has always been more for liturgical churches than Quaker meetings. Historically Lent is a 40-day journey, from Ash Wednesday (Feb. 13) through Palm Sunday (March 24), which symbolizes Jesus’ time in the wilderness. Even though it was not originally part of our Quaker religious tradition, many Friends have begun including the spiritual practices of Lent as part of their experience leading up to Easter. Several of the Lenten practices coincide with our testimony of Simplicity. Below are several suggestions to help us focus our attention on creating a holy season this Lent.
These are simply ideas to help us begin thinking about how we may set apart these 40 days leading up to Easter. My hope is that we will begin on February 13th (Ash Wednesday) to explore this ancient season of the church year and find it a time of “wilderness growth,” spiritual practice/discipline, and a time of holy wonder.
Grace and Peace, Pastor Bob+
Join us as we celebrate the dedication of our
Starting at 2pm on Sunday, we will be having a service of dedication, open house, tours, and time for fellowship and dessert!
Don’t miss out on this exciting time for our church and school!
We are sorry to have to postpone our “Parenting with Love and Logic” class which was to begin this Sunday (Feb 3). Our teacher Meg Feicht is dealing with the failing health of her mother. We ask you to keep Meg, Emily, Kyle, and the entire family in your prayers. We will update you on when the class will begin through this website, email, or on Facebook. Please keep checking back. We thank you for understanding and for you prayers.
During our Peace Month focus in January, we discussed Family Conflict Resolution. As part of that, Pastor Bob mentioned that a new class was beginning for parents or those simply wanting to learn more about parenting with “love and logic.” Not only does this fit our theme for the year of learning to live out The Jesus Creed – to love God and love others, it also helps a specific group, parents, who often wrestle with these issues.
If you are not familiar with Love and Logic® it provides simple and practical techniques to help parents with kids of all ages:
Love and Logic® is a philosophy founded in 1977 by Jim Fay and Foster W. Cline, M.D. It is the approach of choice among leading educators, parents, and other professionals worldwide.
We are excited about offering this class during the Adult Sunday School hour beginning this Sunday at 9:30am. Meg Feicht, our SCS preschool teacher and dedicated parent will be teaching the class. We guarantee it will be a great time of learning a growth! Child care will be provided!
On Sunday (1/27/13), Pastor Bob shared the following video as a way to close out our focus on conflict resolution during Peace Month 2013. In this video, internationally known speaker and author, Shane Claiborne shares about a Biblical perspective of reconciliation. He speaks from local community and international perspectives. Our hope is that it helps bridge the gap between our local awareness and our international needs and what our role in conflict resolution is to be.
Silverton Friends Church 