Dear Brothers and Sisters,
This month our Call to Worship in our Sunday morning service is Psalm 95:6-7:
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand.
These verses summarize what worship is all about in just five lines. Worship begins with “Oh come.” In other words, it is God himself who calls us to come and praise him. He first said to us “come” when, by the powerful working of the Spirit in our hearts, he caused us to understand the Gospel of his grace and led us to faith in Jesus as our Savior. But he also continues to call us to himself. Each Sunday he calls us out of our busy lives to gather and worship him as his redeemed community.
In these two verses we are also given a vivid picture of worship when we are told to bow down and to kneel before our God. When we worship God, we are bowing our whole selves to him. We are submitting our will and desires and priorities to him. Every aspect of who we are kneels before him in worship. And when we submit to him in worship, not only is his name praised, but he is also transforming us and reshaping our hearts so that we reflect him and experience greater joy in him.
Finally, Psalm 95:6-7 tells us exactly who it is we are called to worship. He is, as the second line says, the Lord, our Maker. He is the Creator-King. The One who has all power and authority and who reigns over all of creation calls us to worship him. Us! We who attend Faith Community Church in West Chicago, Illinois! What a privilege we have to worship this King. But notice that this King is also our Shepherd: “For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.” Our Shepherd knows our every need, he knows our every anxiety and fear and insecurity and he calls us to come to him in worship. And when we come to him and bow before him, he gently and patiently cares for us. He feeds us with his Word, he communes with us in the taking of the Lord’s Supper, he strengthens us through prayer, and he reminds us that we are protected because we are held in the palm of his hand.
In preparation for the Lord’s Supper this Sunday, take time to seek the Lord in his Word, prayer, and confession to prepare your hearts for this covenantal meal.
Click here to access the livestream for this Sunday’s service (9:30am).
Volunteers Needed for Administrative Tasks
Our church’s office administrator, Rosa Matos, will soon be transitioning to a new job in Carol Stream. Rosa has been our office administrator for 5½ years and we are thankful for her faithful service to our church.
We are currently seeking to hire a part-time office administrator. The job description for the position is attached to the Midweek Update. Please contact Pastor Rhett or an elder if you have any questions.
In the coming weeks, we will need volunteers to assist with administrative tasks.
In particular, here are the areas that we still need covered:
- Communication tasks (phone and email)
- Computer tasks (webpage, social media updating, updating church management platform)
- Printing and mail pickup/distribution
Rosa is available to provide instructions in these areas. If you would like to volunteer to assist us with these tasks, please contact Pastor Rhett or Rosa (630-231-8230; [email protected]).
Men’s Weeknight Bible Study beginning Monday, October 4 (7:00pm-8:00pm)
A new 9-week men’s study group will begin meeting next Monday evening at Don Johnson’s house. The study will focus on the topic of work and the Christian life. Whether you are preparing for a job, in the middle of a career, in transition between jobs, or retired, you are invited to join the study. The study will follow Work That Makes a Difference by Dan Doriani. Copies of the book are available in the narthex. The first meeting will cover the preface and opening chapter, but will focus primarily on chapter one.
Prayer Requests
Mark Wissing: Please lift up our brother Mark who is undergoing testing due to the loss of sight in one eye.
Karla Van Der Molen: Pray that our Lord would encourage and strengthen Karla in light of an ALS diagnosis.
Pat Elam’s daughter, Cheri: Cheri is in critical condition and has been hospitalized on a ventilator for three weeks with Covid-19. Please pray for complete healing for Cheri and encouragement for Pat and her family.
LaBelle Family Members: Roger Swardt (Pat’s cousin): Praise that surgery on intestine went well; Roxanne Streid (Pat’s cousin): Praise that after a battle with Covid, she is finally getting better; Amy (Larry and Pat LaBelle’s daughter): Pray for a court date coming up in October to determine the future of their foster baby.
In Him,
Pastor Rhett
Here is the job description: Office Administrator