St. Arbucks Chapel – December 11, 2024

  • Our annual Service of Loss and Hope is TODAY, December 11th, at 12:15 Noon and 6 pm. You will be able to light a candle to name the loss you’ve experienced. Loss includes but is beyond death. Any loss of any kind (physical, spiritual, emotional, mental, and relational) creates pain and grief. I will be preaching my favorite verse of the 23rd Psalm….”Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me, Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Both services will be in the sanctuary because our elevator to the chapel is out of order, with parts ordered but likely not to be repaired in time for the service.
  • This past week, our son Drew and I went to watch our other son Luke play in the second stage of the PGA Korn Ferry Qualifying School near Jacksonville (Palm Coast), Florida. Most days it was warmer in Wichita than in Florida! Go figure! I had to wear my winter jacket, with gloves and ear muffs to stay warm. Unfortunately, Luke missed going to the final stage by 1 shot. Luke did earn PGA Americas Tour status by finishing in the 15-25th place category. That tour competes in South America and Canada and is another pathway to playing the Korn Ferry Tour. It was a blessing to watch Luke play really well all four days. The course is extremely difficult, as reflected in the scores. Thanks, again, for your prayer and support!
  • Thought for the Week from Dr. J’s sermon on Sunday….”Reflecting on the lyric from the song, ‘O Holy Night,’ “’Til he appeared, and the soul felts its worth.’” The worth of your soul….remember…..
    • “You were made for God, you are God’s idea, You belong to God, You are perfect in God’s sight, Have no anxiety about what others think of you, Feel the sacredness and awe of who you are, Feel the sacredness and awe of your neighbor!” Dr. James Bryan Smith
  • Many of you have asked me to say more about the psychology of seeing that I referenced in my sermon two weeks ago. Dr. Gregg Henriques, Ph.D. is the author of the article, “What You See Is What You Look For.” Dr. Henriques says, “What people perceive is, in major part, a function of what they look for and expect to see. Those who expect others to act in a certain way tend to perceive that, even if everything is normal. The human mind is a prediction machine.” The psychology of seeing is a newer area that is being studied rather intently. It is based on the idea that we should govern our “seeing” by remember the adage, “Don’t believe everything you think and don’t believe everything you see.”  I encourage you to Google the article if you want to read more.
  • Future classes I will be teaching: Neal Whitlow, our Director of Adult Discipleship, will provide links in time to enroll, or you are welcome to email Neal at nwhitlow@chwichita.org or call the church office at 316-684-1117:

Chapel Hill 101 for those who are new or newer to Chapel Hill and want to hear more about our mission and what makes Chapel Hill distinctive. January 5th – 1:30PM – 3:00 PM. Child care will be provided upon reservation by emailing Neal at nwhitlow@chwichita.org
The Enneagram as a tool for Spiritual Growth – January 8 through April 2 – Wednesday evenings – 6 to 7:30 PM. For those of you who would like an alternative, Neal will also teach a class on Wednesday nights.
Parenting and Grandparenting with Love and Logic – Sunday, January 12th from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM.
Methodism 101 – Sunday, January 19th – 1:30 PM to 3 PM. Based on interest, this intro class could become a series of 4 additional classes.
S.H.A.P.E – Do you know your SHAPE for ministry? Sunday, January 26th from 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM. This class will help you identify your spiritual gifts, heart (passion), abilities, personality, and experiences as a way of making a difference in our world.