Hello all,
We’ve got a great Sunday morning coming up, and I hope you can make it. We’ll be worshiping, fellowshiping, eating and having a great time. First of all- instead of breakfast, we will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a COVERED DISH, IRISH LUNCH. This means that we will be starting worship earlier than normal – shortly after 10:00am. Come at ten for just enough coffee to get you going! After worship, we will launch into the Jesus series, part three. This week we will be contrasting the true good news of Jesus with the religious rubbish that sometimes gets pushed around in the name of Christianity. See below for more details.
As for our lunch time together. Please remember to bring a lot of food AND drink to share. Agape will provide the cups, plates, utensils and ice, and the rest of us should bring food AND drink to share in abundance. Remember that we will have visitors with us, and we want to be sure and include them, so make extra food if you are able. We’re asking folks to consider making Irish themed food if possible. What is Irish food, I hear you ask? Great question! Irish food is more than just potatoes! Here are some ideas to consider (click on the links for pictures and information. Use Google to find good recipes): Irish stew, Coddle, Corned beef and cabbage, Boxty, Bacon and cabbage (yum!), Bangers and mash, Pea and ham soup or Fadge. You can also bring Irish breakfast items, or other seafood and meats…or really anything you’d like! For the really adventurous try: Skirts and kidneys or Colcannon. Probably best to leave the Black pudding, Crubeens and Stout at home for this gathering!
By the way- whoever dresses the best, in keeping with the Irish theme of the day, will get a prize!
Please go to: http://www.facebook.com/agapepinson and Click “LIKE” under that strange little picture of St. Patrick. You might also click “Share” to share an invitation to the Jesus series with your friends. This helps us get the word out and such, and it is quite easy to do.
Here’s what’s up with the Jesus Series for this week: DOWN WITH RELIGION – DOWN WITH MORALISM! Today most people perceive that the message of Christianity is something like, “Don’t do that!! Don’t do that either! Do this! We please God by being good and not doing bad – why don’t you naughty sinners understand that?!” This was not the original message of Jesus and His followers. Sadly, in many cases, the modern American church has distorted the original message of Jesus.
What were Jesus’ first public words? As Mark records, the first public words of Jesus were an encouragement to believe the gospel. That word is a religious word to us now, but it wasn’t at all religious in the first century. Gospel meant good news, and it was carried by evangelists. For instance, when Greece was invaded by a mighty Persian army, the Grecian army went out to meet them in battle. The whole country trembled at the thought of becoming enslaved by the dreaded Persian empire. Fortunately for the Greeks, their army prevailed and repelled the Persians. Heralds (or evangelists) were sent throughout the countryside with the good news (called a “gospel”) to proclaim to the people that they would not become slaves, but would be free! This is what the Jesus gospel should be – a proclamation of victory and freedom – not a set of rules and regulations.
This week at the Agape community in northeast Birmingham, we are going to continue in the Jesus series by considering His first public words, and what He meant when He told people to believe the good news. What was the good news that Jesus was proclaiming? Why was it so important? Why did He ultimately die for it, and what difference does it make in modern, secular America? Come join us at 10am This Sunday to find out. You can find directions on this page, or just message us for more info.
Sláinte!
Chase