Weekly Schedule June 8, 2011 Upcoming Events
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The Vine
June 8, 2011
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruits, because apart from me you can do nothing.” -John 15:5
Weekly Schedule June 7 June 10 June 12
8:00 PM - Bible Study leader training Weekly bible study or fellowship at home groups 9:40 AM – Prayer Time in the Pastor’s Office 10:00 AM – Sunday Worship Service
Praying for victims of natural disaster in Japan and US. May God’s presence be with their recovery. Praying for our community who are going through lost of loved one, health concerns, and transitions in life. Pray for the search for a new Children Pastor for the Children’s Ministry. Pray for the NHC retreat speaker, Rev. Ron Chu as he prepare his messages for our church.
Upcoming Events June 17-18
cv
NHC summer retreat
June 22-25
Vacation Bible School
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Pastoral Musing This coming Sunday is Pentecost. It is the Sunday when we celebrate after the ascension of Christ (Acts 1) and when the Holy Spirit come upon the apostles (Acts 2) by the promise of Jesus (John 16). To celebrate this gift of the Spirit in our churches, religious art, and liturgical prayers, we use a variety of symbols to represent the Holy Spirit, all of which come from the Bible. Here are some of those symbols. One of the most common symbols of the Holy Spirit is a dove. It comes from the story of Jesus' baptism, when Jesus saw “the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.” (Mark 1:10) The other three Gospel writers use similar wording to describe the event (see Matthew 3:16, Luke 3:22, and John 1:32). Fire is another popular representation of the Holy Spirit. The fire that appeared on Pentecost (Acts of the Apostles 2:3) was reminiscent of the burning bush on Mount Sinai from which God spoke to Moses. (Exodus 3:2) During the Exodus, the people of God were led by a pillar of fire at night. (Exodus 13:21) Fire calls attention to the strength and force of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is also represented by wind. In fact, the original Hebrew and Greek words for “Spirit” can be translated as “wind.” The wind that appeared on Pentecost (Acts of the Apostles 2:2) was reminiscent of the wind that blew over the waters at the beginning of Creation. (Genesis 1:2) The wind calls attention to the Holy Spirit breathing life into the Church.
Rev. David Shinn
Zech 14:8; 1 Cor 10:4; Rev 21:6; 22:17) The cloud is used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit because clouds provide life-giving water. In the Old Testament, God often leads his people with a cloud or appears to them in a cloud. (Exodus 16:10) The image of a cloud is often combined with the image of light to symbolize the God who is hidden and mysterious but also revealing and luminous. Anointing with oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit's uniting us with Jesus, the Messiah, the Anointed One. (Acts of the Apostles 10:38; 1 John 2:20-27) Official documents in the past (Nehemiah 9:38; Esther 8:8), and some documents today, were sealed with hot wax. Then an imprint was made on the wax with the official seal of the person sending the document. In a similar way, we are “sealed” by the Holy Spirit to show that we are forever part of God's family. (Song of Songs 8:6; John 6:27) I would like to invite you to wear something red, shirt, tie, dress, blazer (if you owe one). Coem and let us imagine what the Spirit would be represented in our lives. If you were to draw a representation of the Holy Spirit, what would it look like? What would be your reasoning for drawing the Holy Spirit that way? Pastor David Shinn
Water signifies birth and life. From a faith perspective, it represents the cleansing and lifegiving action of the Holy Spirit at Baptism. (Matthew 3:11; John 3:5) The symbolism of water is addressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (#694): As "by one Spirit we were all baptized," so we are also "made to drink of one Spirit." (1 Cor 12:13) Thus the Spirit is also personally the living water welling up from Christ crucified (Jn 19:34; 1 Jn 5:8) as its source and welling up in us to eternal life. (Cf. Jn 4:10-14; 7:38; Ex 17:1-6; Isa 55:1;
2
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Joseph Yang – College Retreat Reflection Being a part of the first, and hopefully many to come, NHC college retreat was a wonderful experience. With the exception of not getting enough hours of sleep, I thoroughly enjoyed my time and felt God’s presence amongst my brothers and sisters in Christ. Although our group was a bit smaller, it gave an opportunity to personally get to know our guest speaker, Pastor Irene, as well as with one another. I was glad to see Pastor Irene feel comfortable from the start since it was her first time serving as a speaker for a college-aged group. The theme of the retreat was “Will the Real Shady Please Stand Up?” (I thought it showed a lot about Pastor Irene’s thoughtful personality to pay homage to us Detroit natives with this clever title) and centered on the biblical passage of Luke 13:10-17. The story focuses on a crippled woman who was unable to overcome her bent over back for eighteen long years. Even though it doesn’t seem like she did anything to deserve this, she unfortunately had to live with a painful reminder until Jesus himself miraculously healed her on Sabbath. Like the crippled woman’s story, life will sometimes throw unexpected curveballs that may potentially hinder us from standing up straight and becoming who we were called to be under God’s perfect plan. Whether it is mental or physical, obvious or subtle, all of us face individual obstacles that can weigh down our lives and limit us from living without restraint. Pastor Irene challenged each of us to find those hindrances in life and allow Christ himself to work in our lives to ultimately provide us the strength to face our deepest fears and stumbling blocks. Overall, it was inspiring to see the students ask engaging questions and actively participate during group discussions. I thought it was a strong message that college students can absorb in a time of confusion and many choices. We were blessed to have Pastor Irene come all the way from San Jose, California and share God’s word with us. I’m excited for NHC college group’s future and hopefully more students can take part in a great time of fellowship next summer.
In Him,
Joe Yang
3
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Children Worship
Sunday Message
Pastor David has been preaching at the children’s worship following NHC worship; that’s why you haven’t seen him. If you are looking for him, please see him after 12:00pm when the worship is concluded.
Pentecost Sunday is this Sunday. This is when we celebrate the gift, presence, and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Come and join us when we experience the power of God that unites all of us together.
New Bible Study Schedule We are coming to the final section of our study on Paul the Apostle. Starting this week, we will conclude our study of Paul by examining his view and work with women in ministry. Come and join us as we dive deep into the study of Paul. If you are not in a group, talk to Pastor Shinn for more information.
Bible Verse of the Week For just as the body is one and has many members, and all of the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – Jews or Greeks, slave or free – and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
-1 Corinthians 12:12-13
New Hope Church of Michigan 27075 West Nine Mile Road, Southfield MI, 48033 248-356-4488 [email protected] www.thenewhopechurch.com
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The Vine
June 8, 2011
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruits, because apart from me you can do nothing.” -John 15:5
Weekly Schedule June 7 June 10 June 12
8:00 PM - Bible Study leader training Weekly bible study or fellowship at home groups 9:40 AM – Prayer Time in the Pastor’s Office 10:00 AM – Sunday Worship Service
Praying for victims of natural disaster in Japan and US. May God’s presence be with their recovery. Praying for our community who are going through lost of loved one, health concerns, and transitions in life. Pray for the search for a new Children Pastor for the Children’s Ministry. Pray for the NHC retreat speaker, Rev. Ron Chu as he prepare his messages for our church.
Upcoming Events June 17-18
cv
NHC summer retreat
June 22-25
Vacation Bible School
V-1-46
Pastoral Musing This coming Sunday is Pentecost. It is the Sunday when we celebrate after the ascension of Christ (Acts 1) and when the Holy Spirit come upon the apostles (Acts 2) by the promise of Jesus (John 16). To celebrate this gift of the Spirit in our churches, religious art, and liturgical prayers, we use a variety of symbols to represent the Holy Spirit, all of which come from the Bible. Here are some of those symbols. One of the most common symbols of the Holy Spirit is a dove. It comes from the story of Jesus' baptism, when Jesus saw “the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.” (Mark 1:10) The other three Gospel writers use similar wording to describe the event (see Matthew 3:16, Luke 3:22, and John 1:32). Fire is another popular representation of the Holy Spirit. The fire that appeared on Pentecost (Acts of the Apostles 2:3) was reminiscent of the burning bush on Mount Sinai from which God spoke to Moses. (Exodus 3:2) During the Exodus, the people of God were led by a pillar of fire at night. (Exodus 13:21) Fire calls attention to the strength and force of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is also represented by wind. In fact, the original Hebrew and Greek words for “Spirit” can be translated as “wind.” The wind that appeared on Pentecost (Acts of the Apostles 2:2) was reminiscent of the wind that blew over the waters at the beginning of Creation. (Genesis 1:2) The wind calls attention to the Holy Spirit breathing life into the Church.
Rev. David Shinn
Zech 14:8; 1 Cor 10:4; Rev 21:6; 22:17) The cloud is used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit because clouds provide life-giving water. In the Old Testament, God often leads his people with a cloud or appears to them in a cloud. (Exodus 16:10) The image of a cloud is often combined with the image of light to symbolize the God who is hidden and mysterious but also revealing and luminous. Anointing with oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit's uniting us with Jesus, the Messiah, the Anointed One. (Acts of the Apostles 10:38; 1 John 2:20-27) Official documents in the past (Nehemiah 9:38; Esther 8:8), and some documents today, were sealed with hot wax. Then an imprint was made on the wax with the official seal of the person sending the document. In a similar way, we are “sealed” by the Holy Spirit to show that we are forever part of God's family. (Song of Songs 8:6; John 6:27) I would like to invite you to wear something red, shirt, tie, dress, blazer (if you owe one). Coem and let us imagine what the Spirit would be represented in our lives. If you were to draw a representation of the Holy Spirit, what would it look like? What would be your reasoning for drawing the Holy Spirit that way? Pastor David Shinn
Water signifies birth and life. From a faith perspective, it represents the cleansing and lifegiving action of the Holy Spirit at Baptism. (Matthew 3:11; John 3:5) The symbolism of water is addressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (#694): As "by one Spirit we were all baptized," so we are also "made to drink of one Spirit." (1 Cor 12:13) Thus the Spirit is also personally the living water welling up from Christ crucified (Jn 19:34; 1 Jn 5:8) as its source and welling up in us to eternal life. (Cf. Jn 4:10-14; 7:38; Ex 17:1-6; Isa 55:1;
2
V-1-46
Joseph Yang – College Retreat Reflection Being a part of the first, and hopefully many to come, NHC college retreat was a wonderful experience. With the exception of not getting enough hours of sleep, I thoroughly enjoyed my time and felt God’s presence amongst my brothers and sisters in Christ. Although our group was a bit smaller, it gave an opportunity to personally get to know our guest speaker, Pastor Irene, as well as with one another. I was glad to see Pastor Irene feel comfortable from the start since it was her first time serving as a speaker for a college-aged group. The theme of the retreat was “Will the Real Shady Please Stand Up?” (I thought it showed a lot about Pastor Irene’s thoughtful personality to pay homage to us Detroit natives with this clever title) and centered on the biblical passage of Luke 13:10-17. The story focuses on a crippled woman who was unable to overcome her bent over back for eighteen long years. Even though it doesn’t seem like she did anything to deserve this, she unfortunately had to live with a painful reminder until Jesus himself miraculously healed her on Sabbath. Like the crippled woman’s story, life will sometimes throw unexpected curveballs that may potentially hinder us from standing up straight and becoming who we were called to be under God’s perfect plan. Whether it is mental or physical, obvious or subtle, all of us face individual obstacles that can weigh down our lives and limit us from living without restraint. Pastor Irene challenged each of us to find those hindrances in life and allow Christ himself to work in our lives to ultimately provide us the strength to face our deepest fears and stumbling blocks. Overall, it was inspiring to see the students ask engaging questions and actively participate during group discussions. I thought it was a strong message that college students can absorb in a time of confusion and many choices. We were blessed to have Pastor Irene come all the way from San Jose, California and share God’s word with us. I’m excited for NHC college group’s future and hopefully more students can take part in a great time of fellowship next summer.
In Him,
Joe Yang
3
V-1-46
Children Worship
Sunday Message
Pastor David has been preaching at the children’s worship following NHC worship; that’s why you haven’t seen him. If you are looking for him, please see him after 12:00pm when the worship is concluded.
Pentecost Sunday is this Sunday. This is when we celebrate the gift, presence, and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Come and join us when we experience the power of God that unites all of us together.
New Bible Study Schedule We are coming to the final section of our study on Paul the Apostle. Starting this week, we will conclude our study of Paul by examining his view and work with women in ministry. Come and join us as we dive deep into the study of Paul. If you are not in a group, talk to Pastor Shinn for more information.
Bible Verse of the Week For just as the body is one and has many members, and all of the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – Jews or Greeks, slave or free – and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
-1 Corinthians 12:12-13
New Hope Church of Michigan 27075 West Nine Mile Road, Southfield MI, 48033 248-356-4488 [email protected] www.thenewhopechurch.com
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