Winter/Fall Schedule Church at 8:30 &10 am
Sept 11 HOMECOMMING SUNDAY 8:30am TEACHER BREAKFAST 9:00am Choir Practice 10:00am HOMECOMING WORSHIHP 11:00am HOMECOMING BBQ
Sept 18 SUNDAY 9:00am Choir Practice 10:00am Sunday Worship 3:00pm Auditions for Children’s Chorus 6:30pm Adult Handbells
Sept 25 SUNDAY 9:00am Choir Practice 10:00am Morning Worship 5:00 -= 7:00pm Middle School Kick Off 6:30pm Adult Handbells
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Stratham Community Church, 6 Emery Lane, PO Box 143, Stratham, NH 03885 |
Pastor's Letter On a Scale of One-to-Ten How did we ever get along before we learned to put things on a scale of one-to-ten? Sure, we had inches and feet, ounces and pounds, even cubits and spans, but how does one describe the thrill of victory, the beauty of a girl or the taste of a wet-bottom strawberry rhubarb pie with inches or ounces or even cubits or spans? No way, Jose! But progress is wonderful. Someone has discovered how to measure earthquakes on a one-to-ten scale, and now we can do it with anything: love, pride, efficiency and difficultly - even tragedy and sadness. "How sad did you feel when your puppy ran away, little girl?" "Well, on a scale of one-to-ten, I'd say eight. I mean, I was really sad." "How do like your new computerized hibachi, neighbor?" "Let me put it this way, on a scale of one-to-ten, it's a six for steaks, a two for marshmallows." "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Better yet, on a scale of one-to-ten..." See, it's really marvelous. Nothing needs to remain ambiguous, nothing vague, nothing unrated. "How did you like my sermon?" "Well, on a scale of one-to-ten, I'd say about a six." "Only six? What do you know about sermons anyway?" Speaking of religion, as we so slickly just got around to doing, the one-to-ten method could be the key to a whole new kind of theology, digit theology. Like this. On a scale of one-to-ten: Sin is |
zero. Confession is a five. Being forgiven is a ten. Greed is a zero. Generosity is an eight. Generosity combined with action - BINGO! A TEN! Humility is a five if you think about it, ten if you don't. You rate a five for loving your neighbor who is friendly, quiet and would give you her last eye-roast; you rate a ten to your neighbor who throws all-night parties, has fourteen cats and who wouldn't give you the time of day. Moving away from her rates a zero for love, ten for smarts. Tithing is seven if it's after taxes, ten if it's before taxes. Coming to church on Christmas and Easter, a five. Coming three of four weeks a month, a ten. Staying awake in church, eight. Staying awake in church and not reading a novel, ten. Staying at home in bed, sleeping or awake, one if you remember it's Sunday, otherwise, zero. Playing soccer, instead of going to church...you decide. It's a great way to find out how you’re doing, religion-wise. Just rate yourself on a one-to-ten on each of those subjects, add it up, average it out and see where you come. If you are lower than what you expected, don't worry about it. God said that even the zeros will not remain zeros, but will be called everlasting tens. And that's the only rating that stands up in the end, anyway. See you in church. Blessings,
~David
Blessings,
David |
Pastoral Letter |
Dear Friends |
CHURCH SUPPER SEPTEMBER 24th! |
