We Heard It First at Church (for Sunday, 9/4/11)

I think Dick Shafer & Bob Swieringa will attest to the fact that corporations spend a LOT of $$$$ to teach employees the practice of 'direct communications.' It seems that corporate America has caught on to something that Christians heard in the first century, long before there ever were 'corporate consultants':

·         Giving and receiving feedback is the way that people change - learn new skills and develop better relationships;

·         Gossip is destructive and people can work out their differences when they are talking with each other instead of about each other;

·         Direct communication enables creativity and problem-solving; and most importantly -

·         The involvement of others (supervisors or other team members and in our case, pastors or lay leaders) is much more effective when people have tried to work things out with each other first!

On Sunday, we will focus on Jesus' commandment to "Love One Another" and this gospel text offers some specific instructions on how we can best do this:        

·         Take our concerns directly to the person first.

·         If this doesn't work, try it with someone else present.

·         And, if this doesn't work, seek the help of the church leadership.

Easily said, but often difficult to do. Perhaps this is why corporate consultants and trainers get paid so much to teach the skills. And, perhaps that's why children benefit from growing up in a church - to learn them early, before they ever go to work for corporations!

Looking forward to seeing all of you on Sunday,

Laura Lee

Texts for This Week:

Exodus 12;1-14

Psalm 114

*Romans 13:8-14

+Matthew 18:21-35

Note: The texts in bold type will be read in the worship service and the one with an asterisk will be used as the focus for the proclamation of the word.