Weekly Word from Pastor Curry: June 18, 2021
Happy Friday, Friendship Family!
I greet you in the precious, powerful, and praiseworthy name of Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest and soon coming King!
“Therefore, since we have a Great High Priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.”
Hebrews 4:14
This week I led the Wednesday Noon Day Prayer Call and shared a devotional entitled Be the One to Take the High Road. The devotional is based on Psalm 15. Psalm 15 states:
I greet you in the precious, powerful, and praiseworthy name of Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest and soon coming King!
“Therefore, since we have a Great High Priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.”
Hebrews 4:14
This week I led the Wednesday Noon Day Prayer Call and shared a devotional entitled Be the One to Take the High Road. The devotional is based on Psalm 15. Psalm 15 states:
O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent?
Who shall dwell on your holy hill?
He who walks blamelessly and does what is right
and speaks truth in his heart;
who does not slander with his tongue
and does no evil to his neighbor,
nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
in whose eyes a vile person is despised,
but who honors those who fear the LORD;
who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
who does not put out his money at interest
and does not take a bribe against the innocent.
Who shall dwell on your holy hill?
He who walks blamelessly and does what is right
and speaks truth in his heart;
who does not slander with his tongue
and does no evil to his neighbor,
nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
in whose eyes a vile person is despised,
but who honors those who fear the LORD;
who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
who does not put out his money at interest
and does not take a bribe against the innocent.
This psalm encouraged us to take the HIGH ROAD! “Taking the high road” refers to higher moral ground. “Taking the high road” is an expression referring to one being a “class act” during a tough time. Those who take the high road demonstrate being honest, fair, and selfless while not being completely defenseless.
Life is full of people and experiences that will let you down and test you. How you handle the difficult moments in life says a lot about you. In all of these situations, think of what Jesus would do and act like him. When life gets difficult, when relationships fail and feel like giving up, look to the Lord. Think of what Jesus would do in every situation and be like him. Shine his light to others when they need it most. You will be rewarded for your acts of kindness and love towards others in ways that you never thought possible. Take the high road and be the bigger person, even when it is difficult.
Life is full of people and experiences that will let you down and test you. How you handle the difficult moments in life says a lot about you. In all of these situations, think of what Jesus would do and act like him. When life gets difficult, when relationships fail and feel like giving up, look to the Lord. Think of what Jesus would do in every situation and be like him. Shine his light to others when they need it most. You will be rewarded for your acts of kindness and love towards others in ways that you never thought possible. Take the high road and be the bigger person, even when it is difficult.
TAKE THE HIGH ROAD!!!
That’s my word for us this week! Take the High Road! In all situations, no matter what happens! It’s the Christlike thing to do!
JUNETEENTH
Did you know that tomorrow, June 19th, is a special holiday in the African-American experience? Tomorrow is Juneteenth!
Juneteenth marks the anniversary of when Texas learned that President Abraham Lincoln had declared slavery illegal. Texas was the final state to hear the news, so June 19, 1865, was when the last slaves were freed, almost two years after signing the Emancipation Proclamation. So June 19th or Juneteenth is a day to commemorate and celebrate freedom for African-Americans in the United States of America. In 1980, Juneteenth became a Texas state holiday. In the decades since every state but South Dakota came to commemorate Juneteenth officially, only a handful of states observe it as a paid holiday.
On Tuesday, the United States Senate approved a bill to make Juneteenth a federal Holiday by a unanimous vote. On Wednesday, the United States House of Representatives swiftly moved to pass the bill as well, and as of yesterday, headed to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law. This means that next year Juneteenth will be recognized as a National Holiday. Praise the Lord!
CALIFORNIA REOPENING
Well, it has happened; on Tuesday, June 15th, California reopened the state’s economy allowing businesses to fully reopen with basically NO coronavirus-related capacity restrictions and NO physical distancing requirements! I know that many are EXTREMELY EXCITED while others remain CAUTIOUSLY SUSPICIOUS. I get both sides of the coin. I encourage everyone only to do what they are comfortable doing. Now, the mask mandate remains the enigma in this whole process. If you are vaccinated, you do not have to wear a mask except under limited conditions like health care facilities. If you are unvaccinated, you must wear a mask when you are around people. The mask guideline is an honor system approach. Again, I encourage everyone to be careful and to be considerate! We have all been through a very traumatic 16 months, and it will take some adjusting to be comfortable. Remember, TAKE THE HIGH ROAD!
Remember, when we worship on Sundays, we will still wear masks until the end of the month. My goal is to keep everyone safe and keep from identifying whether or not individuals are vaccinated. We will probably shift from this in July, making masks optional. Again, please be patient with us as we adjust to all the changes and work to keep everyone safe and comfortable.
WOMEN’S MONTHLY FELLOWSHIP
Ladies, tomorrow, Saturday, June 19th, yes Juneteenth, is the next Women’s Monthly Fellowship. You are invited to attend this virtual experience where First Lady Lynda Beckley of Ecclesia Christian Fellowship will speak about “WHEN THE WAIT BEGINS – TRUSTING GOD, HIS GOODNESS AND HIS TIMING.” Come and hear this faithful Woman of God. Again, this is a virtual experience via Zoom. You can register online HERE.
SUNDAY WORSHIP (THINGS TO REMEMBER):
BACCALAUREATE SERVICE/YOUTH DAY
SCHOLARSHIP AWARD CEREMONY
Please note that the Scholarship Ministry Award Ceremony will stream on the Friendship Youtube, Saturday, June 26th, at 6pm. We invite you to tune in and celebrate our scholars.
THANK YOU
As I close, I THANK GOD that on Monday, June 14th, Lady Karima and I celebrated seven years of marriage. I also thank you, our Friendship Family, for your many calls, texts, emails, posts, and cards to mark the occasion. We really appreciate you!
JUNETEENTH
Did you know that tomorrow, June 19th, is a special holiday in the African-American experience? Tomorrow is Juneteenth!
Juneteenth marks the anniversary of when Texas learned that President Abraham Lincoln had declared slavery illegal. Texas was the final state to hear the news, so June 19, 1865, was when the last slaves were freed, almost two years after signing the Emancipation Proclamation. So June 19th or Juneteenth is a day to commemorate and celebrate freedom for African-Americans in the United States of America. In 1980, Juneteenth became a Texas state holiday. In the decades since every state but South Dakota came to commemorate Juneteenth officially, only a handful of states observe it as a paid holiday.
On Tuesday, the United States Senate approved a bill to make Juneteenth a federal Holiday by a unanimous vote. On Wednesday, the United States House of Representatives swiftly moved to pass the bill as well, and as of yesterday, headed to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law. This means that next year Juneteenth will be recognized as a National Holiday. Praise the Lord!
CALIFORNIA REOPENING
Well, it has happened; on Tuesday, June 15th, California reopened the state’s economy allowing businesses to fully reopen with basically NO coronavirus-related capacity restrictions and NO physical distancing requirements! I know that many are EXTREMELY EXCITED while others remain CAUTIOUSLY SUSPICIOUS. I get both sides of the coin. I encourage everyone only to do what they are comfortable doing. Now, the mask mandate remains the enigma in this whole process. If you are vaccinated, you do not have to wear a mask except under limited conditions like health care facilities. If you are unvaccinated, you must wear a mask when you are around people. The mask guideline is an honor system approach. Again, I encourage everyone to be careful and to be considerate! We have all been through a very traumatic 16 months, and it will take some adjusting to be comfortable. Remember, TAKE THE HIGH ROAD!
Remember, when we worship on Sundays, we will still wear masks until the end of the month. My goal is to keep everyone safe and keep from identifying whether or not individuals are vaccinated. We will probably shift from this in July, making masks optional. Again, please be patient with us as we adjust to all the changes and work to keep everyone safe and comfortable.
WOMEN’S MONTHLY FELLOWSHIP
Ladies, tomorrow, Saturday, June 19th, yes Juneteenth, is the next Women’s Monthly Fellowship. You are invited to attend this virtual experience where First Lady Lynda Beckley of Ecclesia Christian Fellowship will speak about “WHEN THE WAIT BEGINS – TRUSTING GOD, HIS GOODNESS AND HIS TIMING.” Come and hear this faithful Woman of God. Again, this is a virtual experience via Zoom. You can register online HERE.
SUNDAY WORSHIP (THINGS TO REMEMBER):
- I am looking forward to worshipping with you Sunday! We will celebrate Father’s Day together. We have a special gift for all the fathers as well. Happy Father’s Day to all the Father a little early! We no longer require pre-registration to attend our in-person worship service. We pray that you will join us for worship this Sunday.
- IN-PERSON EX-HOUR: In-person Ex-Hour meets each Sunday from 10am to 11am each Sunday on campus. We invite you to stay after the first service or come earlier for the second service to attend Ex Hour in person. We are studying Job & Ecclesiastes.
- EX HOUR: Virtual Ex-Hour meets weekly on Sundays via ZOOM. Join us for class at 10a via this link HERE.
- YOUTH EX HOUR: Our youth Ex Hour takes place during our designated EX Hour time via Google Meet and in-person. Yes, it’s a hybrid approach! Parents, please encourage your students to join youth teachers for this biblically fun opportunity to learn God’s Word, connect with others, and grow. To join Youth Ex-Hour, follow the link HERE.
- Phone Line for Worship: For our members who may have a tough time connecting to our worship service online for whatever reason, we are now offering a way for those members to dial in and listen to service over the phone. To access the service via telephone, members and guests need to dial 1 216-930-8774 and enter the PIN: 464 267 559#. It is live for both the 8:00am and 11:30 worship services.
- VOLUNTEERS NEEDED We continue to need willing workers to help us with our regathering efforts and weekly worship experience. If you are willing to volunteer and help us execute weekly worship, WE NEED YOU! To volunteer, please contact Rev. Eric Archer at [email protected], and he will direct you to the right ministry opportunity. If you are unsure what ministry is right for you, fill out the CHANGE MAKER form by clicking HERE. We especially need volunteers to serve in our MEDIA MINISTRY. Remember we are Saved to Serve.
BACCALAUREATE SERVICE/YOUTH DAY
- Please note that we will host our annual Baccalaureate Service live here at Friendship on the FOURTH SUNDAY, June 27th, at 8:00am. We invite all of our High School Graduates and their families to attend and be a part of this celebration service.
- We will also celebrate Children & Youth Day that Sunday and invite our Children and Youth to attend worship. We have some special things planned just for the young people. Stay tuned for more information next week.
SCHOLARSHIP AWARD CEREMONY
Please note that the Scholarship Ministry Award Ceremony will stream on the Friendship Youtube, Saturday, June 26th, at 6pm. We invite you to tune in and celebrate our scholars.
THANK YOU
As I close, I THANK GOD that on Monday, June 14th, Lady Karima and I celebrated seven years of marriage. I also thank you, our Friendship Family, for your many calls, texts, emails, posts, and cards to mark the occasion. We really appreciate you!
General Church things to remember:
- WEDNESDAY Prayer Day: Join us each Wednesday for Prayer. We pray at 6:30a, 12p, and 6:30p. To connect with our prayer services, please follow this link HERE or dial in at +1 (413) 418-4274 and use the PIN 287683504#.
- FBC FOOD BANK OPEN: The FBC Food Bank is OPEN with a new drive-thru system where our clients will receive a pre-packaged food box and a bag of groceries. The Food Bank’s hours of operation are Tuesday - Thursday 2:30p-4:30p.
- COVID Recovery Kits:
We still have Covid Recovery Kits through Providence Health and the Yorba Linda Rotary Club. These kits help individuals who have been diagnosed with Covid-19 and are recovering at home. Each kit includes a pulse oximeter to monitor breathing, a thermometer, a box of masks, and a package of sanitizing wipes in a small canvas bag. If you or someone in your family could benefit from one of these kits, please call the church office and arrange to get one. - COVID Membership Assistance Fund: We are STILL accepting applications for the COVID Membership Assistance Grant. If you are experiencing financial distress due to COVID19, we invite you to apply for one of our $500 assistance grants. The guidelines are available HERE, and the application is available HERE.
Again, I look forward to worshipping with you Sunday!I look forward to worshipping with you Sunday!
God loves you, Friendship, and so do I!
Stay Safe, Stay Healthy, Stay Connected!
In His Service,
Rev. Kenneth C. Curry, Jr.
Your Pastor
Posted in COVID-19