Today is the First of May. You may have even found yourself joking saying to someone: “It’s May today”. Jumble that up enough and you’ve got yourself a distress call. The international distress signal “Mayday” is always repeated three times in a row—“Mayday-Mayday-Mayday”—so the situation will be clearly understood as a life-threatening emergency. The word was created in 1923 by Frederick Stanley Mockford, a senior radio officer at London’s Croydon Airport. That now-closed facility once had many flights to and from an Airport in Paris. According to the National Maritime Museum, Mockford coined “Mayday” from the French word m’aidez, which means, “help me.”
It got me thinking about an individual in the Bible who he too cried out “Mayday” when all ruckus broke loose time and time again – David. Throughout King David’s life, he faced life-threatening situations for which there seemed to be no way out. Yet, we read in Psalm 86 that during his darkest hours, David’s confidence was in the Lord. “Hear my prayer, Lord; listen to my cry for mercy. When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me” (vv. 6–7).
David also saw beyond the immediate danger by asking God to lead his steps: “Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name” (v. 11). He saw that there was something more to the troubles we face in life. There has to be a grand purpose and a divine savior who can rescue me from the pitfalls before me. When the crisis was past, he wanted to keep walking with God.
The most difficult situations we face can become doorways to a deeper relationship with our Lord. If life has you shouting out “Mayday” – God is hearing you cry and will indeed respond with hope, healing, and wisdom. That longing for a deeper and richer relationship with God begins when we call on Him to help us in our trouble, and also to lead us each day in His way.
Events in May:
- Mother’s Day (May 13th) – We’d like to wish all of the Moms, Grandmas, and Mothers-to-be a wonderful and special day to celebrate what they mean to us as well as God’s work in their lives. Join us for a special recognition that Sunday morning for all the Moms!
EC National Conference (May 30th – June 1st) – Every year the Evangelical Congregational (EC) Church gathers for our annual meeting. During this time leaders from the denomination share about what God is doing in the local church, the denomination, and around the globe during this 3-day event. Pastors and Lay Delegates from all EC Churches gather for worship, sharing, and updating each other about their churches health and future goals/plans. This year’s theme is “All In” based around Philippians 3:13-14: “He [Jesus] died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” Join us in prayer for all the pastors, lay delegates, and denomination leaders as we listen to God’s wisdom for our churches. - Summer Movie and Game Nights – During the Summer months, we love to have special events to celebrate the wonderfully fun season of warmth with extra gatherings. It’s an easy and fun way to invite others without freaking them out since “they’re going to CHURCH!” Keep an eye out for special dates all throughout the Summer to get involved in as well as invite family and friends!
- Men’s Study (Sundays after Worship) – Guys – let’s be honest – we’ve all got issues. That’s nothing to be ashamed of nor does that mean that those struggles we face, particularly as men, need to be handled alone. We just can’t keep feeding into that mantra – we need each other and our faith in Jesus Christ to combat a world of sin. This new study is a MEN’S ONLY gathering that will meet after church on an every other Sunday basis. If interested, be sure to get in touch with Pastor David or Scott Reeser who is heading up this new study group!
Our Current Sermon Series:
There is an old English Idiom: “the elephant in the room”. It refers to an obvious truth that everyone ignores. Or it is something that everybody is thinking about but nobody is talking about. We’ve each experienced the elephant in the room phenomenon at some point in our lives whether with family or even a co-worker.
In the same sense, the church has issues that it tends to ignore. And this series is about identifying some of those church elephants. We can’t possibly answer every question or confront every issue. This series is bound to step on some toes. You may even hear something you don’t totally agree with. But, there are some 5-ton elephants in the church and we aren’t doing anybody any favors if we don’t talk about it.
Here’s what it comes down to: We need to STOP answering questions that no one is asking and BEGIN answering the questions we have avoided for far too long. We need to have the tough conversations about tough topics – and the beauty of it is – that by talking about it, it just makes things easier. So come join us! Don’t be afraid to be a part of the conversation and ask tough questions. We are all in this together!
Join us each Sunday morning as we tackle another Elephant and be a part of the discussion!
*Check out the calendar to look ahead at what’s coming up soon
Upcoming Events:
- Father’s Day (June 18th)– We’d like to wish all of the Dads, Grandfathers, and one day Dad’s a terrific day to recognize how much we are thankful for their influence and teaching in our lives. Be sure to join us for a time of recognition for all of our Dads!
- VBS (June 25-29): “Camp Moose on the Loose” – Camping is an experience kids don’t get every day. At camp, they get to do awesome activities they can’t do anywhere else. But most importantly, God can use camp to bring kids to saving faith and to help them grow in Jesus Christ! God works in lives at camp, in ways that often last a lifetime.
This year’s VBS is all about “Discovering God’s Forever Forgiveness” Students will experience a camping theme where they hike, canoe, and fish — complete with tents, campfires, and wildlife. Through the lessons, kids will learn about the life of Christ as seen through the eyes of Peter, and will discover the lasting forgiveness that only Christ can give. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (1 John 1:9). Stay tuned right here for more details and how to sign up, volunteer to help, and ways in which you and your family can be praying! Look forward to seeing you out by campfire this summer!
Don’t forget to stay in touch here on our website as well as at our church! Feel free to comment AND SHARE with your friends on social media and we look forward to seeing you at California EC Church this month!
Don’t want to miss out on new posts? Be sure to check back for more Monthly Snapshots (always on the 1st of the month), “The Gospel According to…” reviews, and lots of other great things here on our church blog!
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