The following was presented by Mike Falarski at the Chapel Sunday worship service on Sunday 4/22/18 as the Invocation. We are repeating this on the web site because of the importance of Small Groups to the future of the Chapel. We encourage you to seek out Pastor Bill, any member of the Chapel Board, or any member of the small group that Mike belongs to:
Mike and Judi Falarski
Sherry Benz and Dennis Cullen
Brooks and Cindy Fuller
Katharine and Brian Dombrowski
Don and Joyce Kludt
Pentecost, the day the Spirit descended onto the Apostles, is on May 20 this year. Pentecost is generally recognized as the birthday of the Church. People tend to think of church as a place. In actual fact, ‘Church’ is the name given to people who follow Jesus, who meet together to worship God and learn to do what God asks of them. The very first churches were formed by communities of people who met in each other’s homes. These early Churches had four primary characteristics: They devoted themselves to the Apostles teachings, to fellowship, to the “breaking of bread and to prayer.
So why mention this today? Because, I feel like I am in the midst of a new church. It is called a ‘small group’ which we helped form a couple of months ago. It consists of 5 couples that have joined together to grow closer to the Lord and each other. We pray together, we study the bible together, we support each other in troubled times. Does that sound familiar? I just think it must not be much different than the early churches. It certainly is transforming my sense of being a Christian and bring me closer to the Lord. I am beginning to understand the feeling of the Spirit being with me. I can’t help but want to share this with everyone.
I have been advocating small groups for years but never pulled the trigger to form one myself. I guess I always worried about being rejected, was just too busy, or was not Christian enough. Pastor Bill asked me at dinner one evening when I was going to form a small group. I could not come up with any good excuse why not so our group was born. It turned out to be the easiest and best thing I have done in a long, long time. I love being able to share my thoughts and concerns with a group of friends and fellow Christians. We are a Church!! I anticipate sometime in the future our group will spin off into more groups just like the original Church.
I encourage you all seriously to get involved in a small group. You may be able to join an existing one but, if not, start one of your own. I am happy to offer my help. Don’t wait for Pastor Bill to ask you why you aren’t in a small group.
The Villages Community Chapel is a multi denominational Christian Church serving those who live the Villages Golf and Country Club and the nearby Assisted Living Facilities in San Jose, CA. Our weekly worship service is held at 10AM Sundays in the Cribari Auditorium in the Villages.
Have we become so accustom to people not being a person of their word that we no longer hold each other accountable? Some of us grew up with the expression, “A man’s word is his bond” and we depended upon that as a sure thing. Today we live in a world of unreliability and the very things that we held in high esteem are the most disappointing.
Sometimes a sales person will tell you all the right things to gain your confidence and then disappoint you in the end. Broken promises seem to be the standard operating procedure which makes it difficult to manage your life. It would be a lot easier if people would just be truthful. We would then be able to consider the options and make appropriate decisions. Being truthful creates an atmosphere of trust on many levels.
I doubt there's one person on the planet who hasn’t experienced another person’s unreliability. It really starts early in life; a person promises a child something and the child is very hopeful but then that person never follows through and the child is bitterly disappointed. Check your inventory, I’m sure you can draw from an event that occurred in your life, or from a recent experience.
Most recently, I had placed an order with a reputable company for an important event and they assured me that it would be delivered on time. It didn't arrive on time - and that is all I’m going to say about that!
Let’s be people of our word because there may be someone who is holding on to a thread of hope and depending on you to be truthful and follow through. You can be the difference - as a person whose 'word is their bond'. Matthew 5:37 NKJV But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
Desiring to be a person of your word? please join us at the Villages Community Chapel in the Cribari Auditorium each Sunday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. The chapel is a place for Needs to be Met, Faith to be Affirmed and People to Love. We would love to meet you. To learn more about the Villages Community Chapel visit our website at http://villagescommunitychapel.org/ You can hear previous and current Sunday Sermons.
