A Prayer for the Middle East

A Prayer for the Middle East
October 11, 2023
Rev. Matt Pooley

Almighty God, from our perspective, it doesn’t seem that long ago that we were provoked to pray in new ways for Russia and Ukraine as war broke out between them. Almighty God, you know better than any of us that talk of war and intentional acts of violence and chaos all run rampant across many parts of the world, including so many nations on the African continent. Lord, in the midst of the already-existing and fomenting places of war across the world, now our hearts are broken, we are in shock, and our souls are stirred to anger as war is declared between Israel and Hamas after the brutal aggression of Hamas in southern Israel last weekend.

Almighty God, we profess that you watch over the rise and fall of every nation. We equally profess that you know the hairs on the heads of every man, woman, and child on this planet. In your global awareness and your intimately personal awareness, we pray that you will work in the lives of everyone who suddenly and instantly lost a friend, family member, or neighbor in the attacks committed by Hamas.

Lord God, we lift to you every person, trained or untrained, who is suddenly forced into the crisis scenario of providing medical care to thousands of injured people. Strengthen them and work through them in ways only explainable through the power of your Holy Spirit.

Lord God, we pray for every individual on a military level and on a political level who is already involved, and who will become involved, in the increasing violence in the days ahead. Let your protection and peace be on display even in the visceral theater of war.

Lord God, we pray for fellow disciples of Jesus who live in Israel, Gaza, and every nation in the Middle East. God, Your Word declares that in your providence, you set the boundaries of people and nations, determining their appointed times in history. Not only that, but Lord, you did this so that every person might long for You, feel their way to You, and find You in Christ. (Acts 17:26-27) In that providence, you have men, women, and children living throughout Israel and the rest of the Middle East who have ordinary homes and lives. As disciples of Jesus, they also have the Holy Spirit’s extraordinary power to be a witness to Jesus to all who have been bombed out, to those who are fighting, and to those who are desperately trying to stay out of harm’s way. Gracious God, unleash the power of your Holy Spirit through the witness of Christians spread across the regions in conflict right now.

Lord God, I think of extended family and missionary friends of my own who live or minister in Middle Eastern nations such as Lebanon. I pray for my own extended family and friends in that particular nation. Together with anyone who may read and pray this same prayer, we lift to you everyone we know personally who lives frighteningly close to the war and violence.

Lord God, among those of us who follow Christ, there are some of us who see this turn of events in Israel, and we confess that we either have a fleeting thought or a long-dwelling anxious thought about whether this is the beginning of the end of time. Lord, there are so many thoughts and feelings wrapped up in that train of thought… We admit that again and again throughout human history, we have been here before. Your own disciples in the New Testament era tried to read the signs of the times. We confess that we have not stopped doing that in the centuries since. God, on one hand, Your Word calls us to be ready for that day. To stand ready with candles burning, keeping vigil for the glorious coming of Christ to render final judgment on the earth (Matt. 25). In that spirit, Lord, help us to stay awake and to stay alert. 

On the other hand, God, Your Son told us that not even he knew the day or the time of His return. You alone have that knowledge. Help us to release our fretting about dates and times and world events to you; instead, turn all our energy toward the commands you’ve given us: to love You, to love our neighbors, to love our enemies, and to do all of that in such a way that the things that we think, do, and say contribute to Your true mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ among all peoples. Lord God, show us how to do that right where we are in our own neighborhoods. Again, show the disciples who live across the Middle East to do that right where they live too.

Lord God, Your Word declares that in your mysterious providence, you chose to bless the entire earth through a particular line of humanity, out of which came the people of Israel. The long history of righteousness and unrighteousness of your people Israel is dear to your heart and your mission for the world, so we lift the people of Israel to you. At the very same time, your chosen lineage of Israel was blessed to be a blessing to all ethnicities and cultures and tribes. Even to those who hate the people, the principles, the symbols, and the history of Israel. Lord God, we pray with boldness unhindered for the people of Israel. We equally pray for the people of every political faction and nation spread across the Middle East. Yes, by the loving command of Christ, we pray too for those like Hamas who have instigated and will continue to instigate aggression against Israel.

Lord God, we pray for your protection over innocent people. At the specific date and time, not knowing what the days ahead will reveal, we pray for the 130-plus Israeli hostages; reveal Christ as a strength and shield to them and to their anxious family members. Work your miraculous protection to bring as many, if not all, of them home safely. 

Lord God, we pray that the same transforming power of Christ that turned around the life of a man like Saul of Tarsus would transform the lives of any and all perpetrators of violence in this new war. We pray, O Lord, that your justice would be done; and that your compassion would abound. We admit that we don’t naturally see how justice and compassion go hand-in-hand - we tend to want justice against those we’re predisposed to frame as enemies; and we tend to want compassion for those we’re predisposed to see as victims. Lord God, you know better than us — let your justice and your compassion both be on full display.

Lord God, we pray for anyone who does not live in the Middle East but has historical, cultural, or ethnic ties to people groups in the Middle East. We pray for those who live thousands of miles away from the new war in Israel but whose hearts are ravaged all the same from a distance.

Lord God, as we continue to respond to whatever news we hear in the days ahead, show us how to think, act, and speak clearly and compassionately as only Christ would have us do. When we find ourselves in conversations with others and our opinions and convictions are flying every which way, Lord God, humble our minds and our hearts under the lordship of Christ and through the lens of Scripture. God, work so thoroughly in our hearts and minds that the things that we say in conversation do not just flow out of our own prejudices, leanings, and convictions; but that they might flow out of the truth and grace of Jesus Christ. In our personal conversations in the weeks ahead about the constantly unfolding events in the Middle East, use those conversations and relationships to point us and our conversation partners back to Christ. We pray all this in His mighty name, Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, sovereign over the rise and fall of every nation. We mourn with those mourn. We hunger and thirst for righteousness. And only by your Spirit, we long for the day when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:6-11). Amen.

"I saw God..."

I saw God...

As I drove two incredibly excited youth to Leonardtown Baptist Church a couple of weeks ago for an inter-church youth retreat I was hopeful they would have a great time and prayerful that they would encounter God. What I didn't expect is that for a split second I would  encounter God. As I walked them to the front of the church to meet up with the rest of the Pax Pres youth I expected to see the usual suspects, Tom, our interim youth director, and Robbie and Amanda, our amazing youth leaders. What I didn't expect was to see members of our church, none of whom have youth-age children, eagerly and excitedly awaiting the arrival of the Pax Pres youth. I was overwhelmed to tears with gratitude for the willingness of these members of our church family to spend their weekend discipling and loving on the youth of our church. I was in awe watching the body of Christ at work. 

Sometimes, the hardest people to love are the ones who need it most. You don't have to have a youth or even remember what it was like to be a youth to love and disciple them. You only need a desire for the future of our church to be on fire for God and strong in their faith; a spirit open to the call of God and willing to respond; and the ability to be a fool for Christ, God will do the rest. 

From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Eileen, Laura, Cindy, and Jeff...and, of course, Tom, Patsy, Amanda, and Robbie. 

- Kaiti Wicker

Pastoral Correction to August 13, 2023 Sermon: Forgiveness & Reconciliation Not Same Thing

Dear Siblings in Christ at Pax Pres,

Almost every Sunday when I preach, I am mindful that there is often more to be said on a given

Bible passage or topic than time allows for each Sunday.

This is true of virtually every topic, because the depth of God’s truth is profound and endless.

But in my personal experience as a pastor, this is perhaps most true with the subject of

forgiveness. Three Sundays ago – August 13 –I had the privilege of shepherding you through

Psalm 130, largely on the theme of forgiveness.

For a few reasons, I find that forgiveness, in some ways, is the hardest subject to preach on

most effectively. Here are some of those reasons:

First, the situations where forgiveness is needed from God or with others are endlessly unique.

Every situation, no matter how much it might have in common with someone else’s situation, is

unique. Because every single person is created uniquely in the image of God. So it’s challenging

to preach on forgiveness in a way that connects timeless biblical principles with the nuances of

everyone’s personal situations.

Secondly, preaching on forgiveness is challenging because it is the heart of the Gospel message.

Thousands of Reformed Christian leaders, including myself, say that the Gospel is a holistic

message that has implications for every aspect of our life and world. There’s “so much” to the

Gospel, in one sense. But in another sense, the absolute core and heartbeat of the Gospel is the

atonement of Christ for our sins before a holy God. Therefore, preaching on forgiveness

requires exquisite care and precision, in the same way that handling the fusion core of a nuclear

reactor requires exquisite care and precision.

Third, preaching on forgiveness is daunting because in some ways forgiveness is simple, and in

some ways it is complex. There might be some “simple” definitions of forgiveness out there

(meaning simple enough to memorize; not simple in the sense of “easy to do!”). But

forgiveness, as you know from personal experience, is also a multi-step, emotional, complicated

process. For better or for worse, in our worship habits at Pax Pres, generally the sermon is

expected to be no longer than 20-25 minutes. It’s hard to be comprehensive about something

as complex as forgiveness in 20-25 minutes!

I have preached on forgiveness before. But in the weeks since August 13 when I most recently

preached on Psalm 130, I have had a few very good, heartfelt conversations with some of you.

Some of you appreciated the message. I wouldn’t doubt that by God’s Spirit, some of you were

convicted of some piece of God’s Word in a healthy way. But I also don’t doubt that some of

you disagreed with or were rubbed the wrong way by certain ways that I expounded upon

God’s Word that morning. That is the reason for my writing this “post-sermon” reflection…

I need to clarify something that I was not clear about on August 13:

There is an essential difference between forgiveness and reconciliation. Last week, a friend

gave me a memorable definition of forgiveness. He relayed to me that Pastor Charles Stanley

once said that forgiveness is “naming the debt and releasing the debt.”

Forgiveness does not mean you are telling someone that what they did was okay, excusable, or

not really wrong after all. By definition, forgiveness means that you have the humble, clear

courage to call something “wrong.” Naming the debt: being clear about what was done, and

that it was harmful, damaging, etc. - wrong in some way. It’s not always possible to

communicate this to the person at fault. But it is still essential that you “name the debt”

somewhere — if not directly to the person at fault, then to yourself, to a trusted friend, a

counselor, pastor, etc.

Releasing the debt could be described in many ways, but it is exactly that: bringing the “debt

ledger” back to zero in that person’s relational “account” with you. No longer holding that debt

against the person or persons.

But on Sunday, August 13, I had some moments where I implied that forgiveness (described

above) and reconciliation are the same thing. And they are not. Not every situation of

forgiveness can also include reconciliation, for a wide variety of reasons: emotional reasons,

safety reasons, sheer life circumstantial reasons, and more.

On August 13, I used the story of death row convict Jimi Barber to illustrate many parts of

Psalm 130. Part of his story included some deep moments of reconciliation with the family

members of the woman he murdered. It is my pastoral and theological responsibility to make it

absolutely clear that extending forgiveness to someone does not necessarily mean you must

also reconcile.

As I said at the beginning of this post about preaching, there is probably even more I could say

about this, but this blog post has gone on long enough! Any given Sunday there are things I’d

probably want to go back and explain more. For now, here’s the clarification and correction to

part of my August 13 message:

If the forgiveness of God has worked in your life – if God has drawn you to the foot of the cross

and into living relationship with the living God through Jesus Christ – praise God for that! Only

out of that received forgiveness, do I then urge you (and myself!) to extend forgiveness to others

in your life. But know for certain that the call to forgiveness does not always include a call to

reconciliation. They are different things.

If this brings up further questions for you, I would be glad to schedule time to talk more with

you. May God bless you as you daily receive the forgiveness of Christ and extend it to others.

SHOUT OUT for the Pax Pres Paddlers!

Many thanks to the Pax Pres Paddlers for participating in the 2023 Solomons Dragon Boat Festival races to benefit Southern Maryland Community Resources, Inc. (SMCR)! Thank you all for shining the light of Christ and building bridges in the community! Pax Pres won a special prize for being the only team to participate since the very beginning! And we came in 7th place out of 20 crews! 

Results here!

Captain: Matt Brennan

Co-Captain: Amy Collins

Advisor: Grant Graessle

Team Logo Designer: Anelisa Graessle

Coordinator of Team Headquarters: Emese Rashka

Drummer: Veronica (Ronnie) Cooley

Crew:

Matt Brennan

Dianne Bergmann

John Bergmann

Patrick Cole

Amy Collins

Ron Dufrensne

Rachel Fisher

Kathy Frankle

Kevin Frankle

Jill Gaskin

Shane Guilford

Heather Hamtak

Cindy McCreary

Allison Moss

Vern Poole

David Porter

Phillip Ramon

Wulfe Retzlaff

Briana Roorda

Monica Simpson

Volunteers:

Jamie Cooley

Stacey Fisher

Back to School Prayers

 BACK-TO-SCHOOL PRAYERS

I pray that my children would understand their need for Jesus and rejoice in the good news of the gospel. “Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. Our God is a God of salvation, and to GOD, the Lord, belong deliverances from death” (Ps. 68:19–20).

I pray that my children will love learning, that their hearts would seek to understand the world you’ve created. “The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly” (Prov. 15:14).

I pray that as they learn about your world, they would behold the majesty of your glory. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge” (Ps. 19:1–2).

I pray that you would surround them with friends who make wise choices and encourage their faith. “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm” (Prov. 13:20).

I pray that their teachers would be wise and gentle. “The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. . . . A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit” (Prov. 15:2, 4).

I pray that they would work with diligence and put forth their best efforts. “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied” (Prov. 13:4).

I pray that they would be thoughtful with their words and respectful in their replies. “The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things” (Prov. 15:28). 

I pray that you would free them from the pressure of trying to be like everyone else, instead instilling in them the confidence to know they’re uniquely made by you. “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well” (Ps. 139:14).

I pray that they would receive correction well. “The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise. Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence” (Prov. 15:31–32).

I pray that they would share their faith with others. “They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power, to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom” (Ps. 145:11–12).

I pray that when they do what’s wrong, they would bear consequences that lead them to repentance. I pray that when they do what’s right, you would bless their obedience that they may learn to love your ways. “The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways, and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways” (Prov. 14:14).

I pray that your Word would be on their hearts and in their minds as they learn. “Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD” (Prov. 16:20).

I pray that they would be kind to others. “Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor” (Prov. 21:21).

I pray that you would give them the grace of self-control. “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls” (Prov. 25:28).

I pray that your grace would rest upon them. “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!” (Ps. 90:17).

I pray that you would protect them from all evil. “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?  My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life” (Ps. 121:1–2, 7).

More than anything else, may their lives glorify you. “I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever” (Ps. 86:12).

O Lord, hear our prayers! Amen.

(created by Melissa Kruger, Vice President of Discipleship Programming for The Gospel Coalition)

Team-Building Museum Day for the STELLAR VBS Volunteers!

On Sunday, May 21^st, our VBS Leaders – Janice Dixon and Amy Collins – led a STELLAR VBS Volunteer Team Building mission at the Paxuxent River Naval Air Museum! The army of 40 volunteers took on three important missions:

1. Hard-scaped gravel and rock border around the new electronic sign. Pulled up a small tree. Lots of sweat and muscle, but it was great to work alongside one another as a team!  

2. Washed five aircrafts: T-34B Mentor; TH-1L Iroquois; T-2C Buckeye; AV-8B Harrier; Starboard side of the CH-53A Sea Stallion! Several VBS Volunteers brought their children, which was awesome since VBS is all about sharing love with kids. There was so much water, laughter, and everyone was soaked and loved it all! 

3. Primed three picnic tables outside of the museum for volunteers, workers, and guests to all enjoy this summer!  

What a blessing to have Kevin Smith, Bill Posnett, and Dave Bailey join us and lead us on a personal tour of the museum! These three amazing men are faithful members of our Pax Pres Church family and official volunteers at the museum.  

A special SHOUT OUT to the amazing Kristin Friscia, Administrative Coordinator at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum! She was so gracious and grateful – she consistently checked on our team, had plenty of water for everyone, invited us back to serve and tour the museum, and thanked us about 1,000 times! 

SHOUT OUT to our VBS Volunteers who shared the light of Christ in big ways!

Adult and Youth VBS Volunteers

Janice Dixon

Jim Dixon

Jaclynn Dixon

Amy Collins

Craig Collins

David Porter

Russ

Steve Kays

Ann Barnes

Stephanie Thomson

Emese Raschka

Diana Pooley

Matt Pooley

Nathan Pooley

Summer Montuoro

Kristin Lawrence

Rachel Portillo

Patsy Schumacher

Tom Schumacher

Peter Schumacher

Courtney Cuthbertson 

Leah Cuthbertson 

Tyler Cuthbertson 

Kevin Smith

Bill Posnet

Dave Bailey

Kelly Thurber

Eric Thurber

 

Children:

John Dixon

Clara Collins

Caleb Collins

Audrey Collins

Lucy Raschka

Nayla Pooley

Caleb Pooley

Emma Pooley

Max Thurber

Eli Thurber

Jack Thurber

Congratulations, Class of 2023!

Congratulations to our high school and college graduates!

You are a child of God and a child of this church.

Take pride in how far you have come.

Have faith in how far you can go.

And don’t forget to enjoy the journey!

Joshua Philip Blottenberger

Leonardtown High School graduate.

He will attend Liberty University

to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. 

He plans to be an engineer and would love to work

in the area of robotics or aerospace building rockets.

Eliza Eschenbrenner 

Chopticon High School graduate,

Academy of Visual and Performing Arts (Theatre).

She will attend Salve Regina University

in Newport, Rhode Island to major in Theatre Arts.

Robert Portillo

York College of PA graduate.

He earned his B.S. in Economics 

and Minor in Finance and Legal Studies.

Ashley Nicole Smalley

Great Mills High School graduate.

She will attend West Virginia University, 

Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering

and Mineral Resources. 

She plans to major in Biomedical Engineering

and possibly pursue medical school.

Ethan Peter Wolfe

Leonardtown High School graduate.

He will attend Villanova University

to study Business & Psychology.

A Prayer for Graduates

“We send you forth into the world

confident that God will go with you

wherever you may go.

We have faith that Christ will lead

and guide you in all your endeavors.

We praise God for your presence among us

and we send you forth

praying that God will continue to bless you.

May the grace of the Lord be with you,

the love of God surround you,

and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit guide you.

Amen.”

Building Bridges for the Gospel... in our community

Our dedicated crew of 17 Pax Pres volunteers participated in this year’s St. Mary’s County Christmas in April! In just eight short hours, they accomplished a tremendous amount of work to spruce up Tolerance Hall at the St. Mary’s County Fairgrounds… dusting ceilings, cleaning windows, and cleaning and re-hanging more than 100 framed photos of the Queens of Tolerance. Armed with paintbrushes and rollers, they painted the interior 4,000 square feet two shades of blue - light blue on the top and dark blue on the bottom. All trim work and doors were repainted from tan to dark blue to better match the space.

Many thanks to the following for sharing their time, muscle, and cooperation:

Jim & Janice Dixon

Chris (CIA Ministry Leader) & Kristin Lawrence

Edward & Sarah Lorek

John & Diane Bergmann

Dave & Leo Eschenbrenner

Chris & Luke Harritt

John Dixon

Leon Anderson

Patty Smith

Rita Reeves

Scott McLellan

Prayer of a Civil War Soldier

"A letter attributed to a Civil War soldier expresses God’s prayer priorities and the ultimate desires of the heart shaped by the Holy Spirit: 

'I asked God for strength, that I might achieve.
I was made weak, that I might humbly learn to obey. 

I asked for health, that I might do greater things.
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things. 

I asked for riches, that I might be happy.
I was given poverty, that I might be wise. 

I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men.
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God. 

I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life.
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things. 

I got nothing that I asked for, but everything that I hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered. 

I among all men am most richly blessed.'"

Footnote in Bryan Chapell's book says:

"From personal correspondence of Bill Kuh, November 24, 2003. The letter is alleged to have been found on the body of an unknown soldier after the Battle of Gettysburg. The letter appears in many sources. 

Chapell, Bryan. Praying Backwards (p. 195). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. 

Easter Flower Dedications

The Easter Azaleas and Lilies are given to the Glory of Almighty God in Memory/Honor/Thanksgiving of: 

Anonymous

In honor of Patsy Schumacher, my secret sister.

Coralie Adams

In memory of husband. John Adams,

and parents, Raymond and Kathryne Whitman.

 

Jim Barton

In memory of my parents, Louise and Bob Barton.

 

Gloria Brady

To celebrate our risen Savior.

 

Danielson Family

To celebrate all of the blessings from God, our Father.

 

Patsy Davidson

In celebration of our risen Lord and the blessings of family and friends.

 

Densford Family

In memory of beloved (Great) Grandparents:

Mary, Tom, Dorothy, and Bascom.

 

Jim and Janice Dixon

In memory of Helen Dixon and in honor of Debi Klump.

 

Eschenbrenner Family

To celebrate Eliza’s 18th birthday.

 

Doug and Sarajayne Fraley

In memory of Dr. S. Fraley, Jr.

 

Jarod Grant

In honor of Archie Forsythe and Gary and Diane Grant.

 

Marie and Scott Hankinson

In honor of our family.

 

Rev. Robert F. Hardin

In memory of Robert M. Hardin and wife and Mansel Hardin and wife.

 

Lynne Hawkins

To celebrate the rising of Jesus.

 

Carolyn and Dick Huff

In memory of Dick’s mom, Vivian Bolling.

 

Agatha Lakin

In loving memory of Toby Lakin

and his parents, Toby and Pansy Lakin

and in loving memory of Aggie’s parents, Leonard and Bonnie Cochran.

 

Lawrence Family

In memory of our loved ones.

 

Glenda Lytle

In loving memory of my husband, Allen Lytle,

our son-in-law Ian Seely, and my parents.

 

Frank and Kathy Mazur

In memory of Bonnie Clark

and to celebrate our risen Savior – He lives!

 

Phil and Sue Menthe

In honor of Patuxent Presbyterian Church.

 

Mierzwa Family

To celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary and Mia’s 1st birthday.

 

Christine Neurauter

In memory of my dad and sister.

 

Donald and Deborah Patterson

In memory of Donald and Barbara Lanning,

and Merle and Elsie Patterson.

 

Bill and Genie Posnett

To celebrate the birth of Gabriel Posnett.

 

Bill and Diane Quinn

In memory of Bill’s parents, Janette and William I. Quinn

and Diane’s dad, Kenneth Thompson.

 

Jean Reamy

In memory of Ken Reamy.

 

Kathryn Rivers

In memory of Jay Rivers and father, Dr. L. Spencer.

 

Patsy and Tom Schumacher

In memory of Paul J. and Peter S. Van Bloem Sr.

and Charles Schumacher.

For the Reamy family.

In honor of the Garden Club for all they do.

In honor of our “Flower Lady” Carolyn Huff.

In honor of our Youth Leaders,

Robbie Romano, Amanda McKinley and Tom Schumacher.

 

Marilyn Sheldahl

In memory of my first husband, Pastor Fred Illick,

and my second husband, Rick Sheldahl.

 

Patty Smith

In memory of Larry Smith, wonderful husband, father,

grandfather, and man of God.

 

David and LuAnn Smouse

In memory of loved ones who are always in our hearts

and to celebrate Christ’s resurrection and a promise of renewed life.

 

Rich and Kelly Tygrett

To celebrate upcoming births of baby Nardo and baby Murphy,

and in memory of Kelly’s dad and sister, Clint and Jeannie Posey.

In memory of Rich’s dad, Tom Tygrett.

 

Mac and Tina Watts

To celebrate the gift of Jesus’ suffering for us.

 

Don and Beth Wright

To the glory of our Risen Lord.

In honor of our ministers and musicians.

In memory of Don parents, Helen and Don Wright Jr.

and Beth’s parents, Dorothy and Walter Frazier.

 

Maureen and Geoff Wysham

To the glory of God.