Free In Idaho!

Our church congregation began 10 or so years ago and had a rather chaotic early history, going through a number of pastors, a split, and over that time meeting in a high school, the college, and finally another church’s building on Sundays after their service was over.  It has always been a prayer of our church to have a building of our own, close to town.  Last summer, we went through the process of buying a church property from a congregation that was closing up.  And for the last month or so there have been dozens of faithful folks volunteering time and talents towards getting the place into “serviceable” condition.

This morning our church celebrated our first worship service in our own building!  That’s a PRAISE for sure.  

We have so many more plans for it, and prayers.  It’s exciting to see what the Lord has provided, and how.  It’s exciting to pray and praise, and wonder “what is He going to do with us now?”  We are so very grateful.  Thank you Father, so much. 

Prayer of Dedication

Minister: O Eternal God,

The heavens cannot contain You,

let alone this small building.

But we pray that You would be present with us

as we dedicate this building to Your glory.

Be with us as we set it apart entirely for Your service,

separating it from all common and ordinary use.

People: Amen.

Here may You accept our sacrifices of prayer and praise,

and make them as such lively and sincere.

People: Amen.

Minister: Here may You bless the reading and preaching of Your holy Word,

granting those who listen ears to hear

and faith to believe all that You have promised.

People: Amen.

Minister: Here may those who are baptized be made

true and real members of Your church and fruitful

branches joined to the True Vine.

People: Amen.

Minister: Here may those who receive the Sacrament of the

body and blood of Christ do so with penitent hearts

and partake of the Living Bread.

People: Amen.

Minister: Here may those who are joined in marriage

faithfully fulfill their vows and remain

in perfect love all of their lives.

People: Amen.

Minister: Here may the faithful find salvation, and the careless be awakened.

May the doubting find faith, and the anxious be encouraged.

May the tempted find help, and the sorrowful comfort.

Here may the weary find rest, and the strong be renewed.

May the aged find consolation, and the young be inspired.

And may all who enter these doors find Jesus Christ the Son of God here,

In grace and mercy among His people. Grant this we pray, O Lord:

All: Amen.

This morning the Sunday Music is “Fairest Lord Jesus“.

Bill Quick over at Daily Pundit posted a piece yesterday afternoon to tell us why.

Why?

By doing so, you send a message that can’t be mistaken or spun. It is a message that says:

“I am a Republican who wanted to vote for a conservative GOP candidate, but wasn’t able to do so. I can’t vote for a Democrat, but I can’t vote for any of the Republicans, either. So I’m writing in the name of the candidate I wish I could have voted for, because he is the kind of candidate I could support.”

Read the whole thing. A lot of us are thinking the same thing.

Earlier this past year I had written in a post that camo clothing in Idaho was a pretty normal thing, even on campus.  It was in response to an anti-gun article I was commenting on, which used the wearing of camo as a danger/warning sign of someone you had to watch for “sudden nutjob shooting up the mall” syndrome.  In Idaho, even in big cosmopolitan Boise, the wearing of camo is pretty much a yawner.

So I was amused by Zimo, our local paper’s outdoor writer, when he attached these comments to the bottom of his Sunday article

I try to be fashion conscious.

I had to rent a tux for a banquet, and since I’m a wildlife photographer and also a waterfowl hunter, I wanted to make a fashion statement.

To my surprise, I found a tux with a camo flair.

Actually, it is a black tux with tails but the vest and bow tie are camo - Mossy Oak to be specific. Really cool.

I won’t mind showing up to the banquet with camo that matches the brown in my cowboy boots.

I did learn something that’s cool about Idaho. The store where I rented the tux had requests for the camo attire for four weddings last year.

Yup, four weddings where the guys wore Mossy Oak.

You’ve got to love it.

Wonder if they played duck calls instead of the wedding march?

Makes my point.  I love it here.