On June 14th the men of our church got together in Warrenton to fellowship over breakfast without the encumbrance of a meeting agenda. But that was the whole idea anyway, wasn’t it? Our task-oriented lives are filled to overflowing with priorities, schedules, meetings, and agendas. Should we not pause for a moment and remember that we just like spending time with each other? To discover the newness of relationship with someone who’s been sitting in the pew just a few feet away. To exchange words over subjects of common interest. Those words might have been exchanged a long time ago if we just had more time.
But God isn’t going to give us twenty-five hours today because we’d like to spend more time with each other. He gives us twenty-four and we must use them wisely. My interpretation of wisdom here is finding a balance. Yes, the things on our to-do lists are important in different ways. But they must be balanced with living life in a community of faith. A community of friends who just like to get together once in a while. Without an agenda. So stay tuned for the next edition of the No Agenda Men’s Breakfast. We’re planning the next one in the Bethesda / Rockville area.
Sarah Elizabeth Seidel graduated from Centreville High School on June 20, 2014. She was a music scholarship award winner for her choral studies and wore honor cords for the National Music Honor Society and National English Honor Society. Together with three of her graduating friends, she performed I Hope You Dance at the graduation ceremony at George Mason University Patriot Center. Following her summer working as a counselor at the Church of the Brethren’s Camp Beth, Sarah Beth will attend Christopher Newport University studying choral music education.
Bible 101 and friends and family visited the National Zoo on Monday, June 30. The MacKinnons, Seidels, Comers, and friends made a day of it, arriving by car and Metro train. The elephants, tigers and ape house were active for viewing. The reptile house was either “creepy” or “awesome” depending on who you asked. But, it was unanimous, a day of fun with friends and family was had by all!
Summer is here and we all want to be especially safe when it comes to the water. The following article comes from “The Deacon’s Bench” – a publication from Brotherhood Mutual and is reprinted with permission.
How to choose the right personal flotation device
Consider these suggestions for choosing a life jacket:
*Use a flotation device that’s approved by the U.S. Coast Guardd. Water toys like inner tubes and foam noodles may float, but they shouldn’t be relied on for safety.
*Check the manufacturer’s label to ensure that life jackets proprely fit each swimmer’s height and weight. Test the fit by having swimmers wear a life jacket and hold their arms straight up. Gently pull up on the tops of the arm openings. If there’s excess room above the openings, or if the jacket rides up over a swimmer’s face or chin, choose a smaller jacket.
* Try life jackets in shallow water under careful supervision. If a life jacket doesn’t properly keep the swimmer afloat, opt for a different one that provides better support.
Life jackets are designed to help keep swimmers and boaters safe, but they do not guarantee safety. Always follow all swim and boating safety laws and regulations.
This annual worship service will be held in the restored Dunker Church at the Antietam National Battlefield, Sharpsburg, MD, on Sunday, September 14, at 3:00 p.m. Pastors Tim and Audrey Hollenberg-Duffey of the Hagerstown Church of the Brethren will be the preachers. This will be a remembrance service reflecting on what the Dunker Church symbolizes for 1862 and 2014. This service is sponsored by area Churches of the Brethren and is open to the public. For more info, please call Eddie Edmonds, 304-267-4135; Tom Fralin, 301-432-2653; or Ed Poling, 301-766-9005.
Shepherd’s Spring has asked the Oakton and Midland congregations to serve as ice cream dippers again at the Celebrate Summer Event on Saturday, August 16, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm. This fun and free event was very well attended last year and proved to be lots of fun. If you would like to help hand out smiles at the ice cream booth, please let Jerry Anne Kines know. .
