URC Weekly 7/3/2011: Transformers
Hello Church,
I hope you enjoyed the holiday weekend. I celebrated it by watching the new Transformers movie. I’m sure that just by mentioning the title of this movie, many of you can already tell where this weekly is going: “Let’s be transformers for God!” or “Let’s transform the world!” And frankly, you would be correct. This makes sense all that much more when you consider that one of my favorite verses says, “Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will (Rom 12:2).” We have seen various cases of this restorative transformation amongst us and I pray that such transformation continues to happen.
Yet I do want to shed a light on a particular scene of the movie, without ruining the plot, of course. In an attempt to revive Sentinel Prime, Optimus Prime takes out a boomerang-looking device that glows from his core and places it in that of Sentinel. Consequently, Sentinel wakes up but returns to Optimus the glowing boomerang (perhaps it’s got a better name and you can enlighten me?) which apparently symbolizes the leadership of the autobots.
This is quite similar to our journey in life as Christians. You know, the apostles of the first church were transformed, just as we have been getting transformed by God. Acts 2 tells us their transformation process, of which the key is the Holy Spirit.
“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them (Acts 2:1-4).”
As a result of this experience of the Holy Spirit, the apostles are transformed and begin to transform the world. I want to caution you, however, that this rapid and dramatic process isn’t the only way of transformation; some transformations are slow and subtle. In fact, I believe all genuine Christians go through a lifetime of transformation. Yet every type of transformation requires the Holy Spirit. Without the Spirit, no change of heart can be made.
Beloved family in Christ, let us remember that we are the apostles of the current times. Let us then seek out the Holy Spirit together. The best way to do this is to pray, read the Word and love one another. I am greatly excited and thankful for the upcoming transformation that God will do in our lives. May God bless us individually and together as a church abundantly through His transformational Spirit.
• Community Group: 7/15 (Fri) @ Jeana’s, needs to be confirmed
• EM DEDICATION MORNING SERVICE: 7/9 (Sat) @ 6:30am, Please come!
• WORSHIP TIME CHANGE: Our worship will move to 10am starting August
• BACKPACKS FOR KIDS: Backpacks coming this month
• ELECTRONIC WASTE: Got any? Donate to church!
• DODGERS MONEY: Haven’t paid? Please do as soon as possible
• ALL-COORDINATOR MEETING: 7/17 (Sun) @ 1:30pm
• MORE: 8/1 (Mon) – 8/4 (Thu), leaders wanted
• URC CAMPING: 8/14 (Sun) – 8/17 (Wed) @ Lake Cachuma
• SNACKS: Hyunjoo’s Small Group
• SCRIPTURE READING/OFFERING: Angela Harty
• DEVOTIONS: 1 Corinthians 2 – 1 Corinthians 8
