AWESOME DAY!

Awesome day, awesome service, awesome music, awesome attendance, awesome friends, awesome cooks and of course an awesome God!!!
Friendship Sunday was a huge success in every way. I met so many new friends yesterday and they all had at least one comment in common...what loving people make up this church! Jesus said they will know we are His disciples by our love and yesterday gives witness to that truth.
We stepped out of our comfort zones and invited the people God laid on our hearts and we had one of the most diverse crowds yet. It reminded me that our call is to go into all the world...not just our little corner of the world.
Yesterday was a challenge for me but I would not have missed it for anything. I was moving in slow motion but no one seemed to care. I am feeling better each day and soon I'll be up to par again. Thanks for all of your prayers and gestures of concern. We do have an awesome church and to God be the glory!!!

Alive and Well

After two minor surgical procedures this week I am doing well. I am resting today and tomorrow so I will be ready to preach on Sunday....which is Friendship Sunday. The music Sunday will be awesome I am sure!!!

Your continued prayers are appreciated.

Resurrection Power!

What a difference an Easter makes! Last year we placed the cross in front of an unfinished project in anticipation of what was to come....a completed church and parking lot. Praise be to God, our faith was honored and how lovely it was to gather around the cross for our Sunrise service this Easter. The weather was lovely and it was a great start to a glorious day.

This picture does not do justice to the beautiful flowers that adorned the sanctuary! And words cannot describe the resurrection power that swept through our midst. With over 200 people in worship we had a real celebration of Jesus, our Risen Saviour!! The Choir and Praise Team began with the Processional and the Holy Spirit took it from there. By the time the Men's Quintet sang everyone was on their feet praising the Lord. We could not ask for a more joyful day of worship.

Of course the children were more than blessed with an abundance of eggs will filled with goodies.
My coffee table was full and running over from Ryan's find. It was a great day for everyone.

Thanks to the many people who gave of their time, talent, treasure and truth so that Easter lifted Jesus high at Holy Cross. Here's to a repeat blessing this week as we celebrate Friendship Sunday. Remember to invite a friend and to cook us something good to eat!!!

Thoughts From Good Friday

Last night was a time of solemn praise as we remembered Jesus on the cross. Again the question "Who do you say that I am?" was asked. It seems to be a question hard to answer, one described as haunting. It's a question you think you know the answer to until you are called upon to answer it.

On this Saturday, the last day of Holy Week, let us take time to answer the question Jesus asked of His disciples, "Who do you say that I Am?" It is essential if we are to be witnesses of Jesus. In Revelation it says, "They overcame by the blood of the Lamb and the power of their testimony." Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world; we are the ones to give testimony of that good news. As we are faithful witnesses we are empowered to overcome all things. It's a great partnership.

Tomorrow morning we will gather as witnesses have been doing for 2008 years now. We will celebrate that Christ is risen! And when you hear those words you may want to answer as people have been doing for thousands of years, "Christ is risen indeed!"

Make your way to church....any church...and hear the good news of Jesus. Sing, pray and worship the King of King and the Lord of Lords. At Holy Cross I will be preaching a sermon entitled "Do Not be Afraid, Go and Tell" based on the words the angel said to the women who went to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus and also what the risen Jesus said to those same women when he encounter them. There is no fear in doing the best thing you can do for someone; connecting a person to Jesus is just that. It's time to loose all fear and go and tell.

As I said last night we each experience Jesus in our own way. Therefore there is no right or wrong answer to the question. So go ahead and work on it.....I am...and when I am done I will share it with you. Peace be with you!

Holy Week and Easter Triva

Peace and blessings to you this most Holy Week. On the cloudy and stormy day I am reminded of the storm that awaited Jesus as he journeyed to the cross. I am so thankful for his "obedience, even to death on the cross." It's difficult for some to focus on the crucifixion of Jesus; if that is you then do so with the hope of resurrection in your heart. Take the journey knowing that Jesus rose again! Death did not defeat him and this world did not overcome him...he overcame this world and he rose again!

I challenge you to spend some time this week answering the question of Jesus: who do you say that I am? Who is Jesus to you? Join us Friday night at 7 PM for a moving drama in which three biblical characters share their experience of Jesus. Spend some time with Jesus at the cross and remember how much he loves you.

And now for some Easter trivia that I received in an e-mail from my friend Rex. We are not crazy...Easter is real early this year!

Easter 2008 -- A once in a lifetime experience! Easter is always the 1st Sunday after the 1st full moon after the Spring Equinox (which is March 20). This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people used to identify Passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar.

Here's the interesting info. This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see the rest of our lives! And only the most elderly of our population have ever seen it this early (95 years old or above!). And none of us have ever, or will ever, see it a day earlier! Here are the facts:

1) The next time Easter will be this early, March 23, will be the year 2228 (220 years from

now). The last time it was this early was 1913 (so if you're 95 or older, you are the only

ones that were around for that!).

2) The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in the year 2285 (277 years from

now). The last time it was on March 22 was 1818. So, no one alive today has or will ever

see it any earlier than this year!

Celebrate with praise!

Sunday Sunrise Service 7:00 AM gathered around our Lilly Cross in the parking lot. The picture of the cross from last year reminded me that our building was not even finished last Easter - we have two resurrections to celebrate this year! And let's pray for the weather to cooperate this year....remember the hail storm during last years service???

Sunday Worship 10 AM, Special music by the Choir and Praise Team

Children's Egg Hunt following the service. If you bring plastic eggs filled with goodies be sure to drop them off on your way in at the table outside. Our children are so blessed with the egg hunt.

If you have time this Saturday come to the BOT Workday and help us get our building and grounds ready; we need all of the help we can get...even those who give encouragement and something cool to drink.

With all that's going on the rest of this week, I hope to see all of you at least once!

Tomorrow

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. I know it's hard to believe, but Easter is just a week way. Tomorrow is also the Graduation of our first CLM class. And just delivered this morning are two of our kneelers that survived hurricane Ivan and have now been refurbished and ready for use. We will dedicate them tomorrow as well. So be sure to get up and make your way to God's house.

During the sermon tomorrow I will show you how easy God has made it for us to share the gospel with our family, friends, co-workers and even strangers. I think you will be pleasantly surprised and ready to give it a try for Friendship Sunday.

Most of all, come and enjoy God's presence as we worship together. In God's presence is fullness of joy! And the joy of the Lord is our strength. So begin this Holy Week in the best way possible by being at church. I'll see you there.

For You Folks Who Live Out of Town

Okay, the squeaky wheel gets the grease! All you had to do was to let me know you're missing my updates and here they go again!!! I tend to forget about those of you who are connected to Holy Cross via cyberspace.

Let me go back and tell you about something you missed last month. Our "Evening of Love Songs" was so much fun! I've never had such a good time at making money for the church. The show was quality baby...and I wish I could post a picture of the Dream Girls....but jobs could be lost so I will control myself. The cast was so good that they were invited to perform last weekend at the Positive Living Conference in Ft. Walton Beach. They were a big hit there as well and again made some more money for the church. They are giving fund raising a whole new reputation. Of course all of this is possible because of the desire of Mandy to give back to the church. Just think what would happen if everyone wanted to and did that!!!

On a more serious note, we are busy connecting people with Jesus and that's what it's all about. It's great when people come and ask to be baptized. What a great witness to the power of the gospel. People's lives are transformed by the touch of Jesus and it brings great joy to be a part of that miracle.

Speaking of miracles, yesterday was another day of testimonies of healing. The vision God gave us of this becoming a mecca of healing is already taking place. Even some of the local doctors are wondering what God is up to at Holy Cross MCC. We are blessed to partner with God in offering hope and healing and I know we will hear of more testimonies as the weeks go by. Healing is flowing while we are singing, preaching, praying and sharing in Communion. It's amazing and so wonderful.

Also, it is amazing what God is doing in our youth and children. It brings tears of joy to my eyes to see the young children raising their hands in worship to Jesus. We are indeed raising the next generation of spiritual activists in MCC and in HCMCC. If you want to see something else that will bless your heart, stop by the classroom and check out some of the posters the children have made this month. They are learning the word of God and you can tell by their drawings that they really get it. They have outgrown that room so additional teachers are needed as we expand our Children's Ministry. Is God call anyone???? Of course God is - the better question is this: is anyone listening and ready to answer God's call???

For those of you who are out of town, let me know if you would like us to mail you a copy of our daily devotional. It's so exciting for 200 people to be doing the same devotional everyday....200 of us that is because thousands are reading them around the country. We want to include you if you want to be included. Also, CD's of the series I did on The Road to Recovery are now available; it's a three CD set for $10.00. This series was a big hit with the congregation so you may want to get a set. It would make a great gift for anyone struggling with hurts, hang-ups and habits....which would be all of us!!!

Our current series is on Connecting People with Jesus and we are enjoying it too. We have a goal to have 100 guests in worship Easter and the week after (Friendship Sunday). If we reach our goal we will overflow but what a great problem to have. It won't be long until we will need to go to two services but I am trying to wait until I return from my sabbatical. Sometimes my plans and God's are different so we will see. I remember coming here in February 2001 and having to begin a new early service by Easter as people were standing during the one service we had. People thought I was crazy....and I am, but not when it comes to my job....we began it and it was successful. So, whatever God tells you to do just say yes and do it no matter what anyone else says. If it is of God it will prosper....and if it is not, well with time it will fade away.

Okay, that's it for today. Just let me know what you need and I will do my best to find the resource. Just e-mail me (revsandy@holycrossmcc.com). Have a blessed week and remember, you will encounter people this week that God has sent your way...listen to them and offer them hope and healing in Jesus name!!!

Abundant Sunshine

That's the forecast for the weekend so I hope to see many of you at our Workday from noon to four tomorrow. This is such an exciting time as Winter passes by and Spring marches in. Flowers are budding, baby birds are chirping and there's much to be done inside and out...not to mention that working together is a great way to meet new people and get to know others.

Some of you will appreciate this: a number of stumps were ground this week so we can make the space between the church and the office look so much better now. It is a joy to watch the development of our property...to see that which we have by faith hoped for and worked for become reality. Our presence is transforming an industrial site to a holy and sacred place.
We are so blessed and "to whom much is given - much is required", therefore, I'll see you Saturday and Sunday!

DON'T FORGET... SPRING FORWARD ... be sure to set your clock ahead one hour before going to sleep Saturday night!