Pastor Alan’s Alley

Greetings Sisters & Brothers in Christ.

What will 2012 hold in store for us?

Will the world come to end as predicted in the Mayan calendar?

Will we draw closer to God?

Will we remember Christmas beyond January?

Will we attend church on a regular basis?

Will we do more for God and Christ?

The world we live in is full of these kind of “Will we's” yet so often we allow the shear number of them to stop us from doing anything.

This year I will be focusing the church on Social Justice Issues. Meaning that we as a church will focus more of our attention and efforts to activities of all sorts outside the church building. We will take up the cause of spreading God's message of love. Our scripture verse will come from the 1^st Testament a well known one found in Micah 6:8.

 He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

It is said one way to look a country is to see how they take care of the widow's and orphans, or put another way the elderly and the young.

How do we provide for basic needs of these people in our communities?

Although issues such as these have been firmly placed with the political arena, to the church they are not a political issue. Speaking out for those in society than cannot speak for them selves is seeking God's justice for them.

Doing so with kindness for both the oppressed and dis-guarded is what we are called to do. Doing this work with humility giving God the glory for what is accomplished is how we are to do the work.

This decision will no doubt be confusing and unclear to some, to others disturbing and to I pray most of you exciting.

I believe if we as a church are going to move into the this new year doing what we have always done, we will achieve the same things we always have. This year 2012 that is not an acceptable way to operate as a church!

We are going to answer God's call for Ellenberger United Church Of Christ to “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” In doing so God will continue bless what we do as long as we continue do all for Glory of God!

My goal is to involve each active member of the church in support of the activities we will be under taking. You might be asked to simply pray, or go on a local mission event, or go to Harlan, KY on a mission trip, you might be asked to write some letters to the authorities controlling social programs. We will taking on new challenges some yet to be known. We will follow God's leading for opportunities to serve.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Shalom, Pastor Alan