Exodus: Journey Of Promise

Yup…it’s upon us all over again!

Next week is the first week of November, and so we have the Exodus Prayer Marathon (affectionately named as such following the first time we tried this, just last month).  Next week, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday we will be meeting at 8:00pm on JonEm’s for a short prayer and worship time.  Fasting as a spiritual discipline and act of worship is encouraged.  Then we’ll see you all on Thursday for the usual Prayer Meeting.  That’s a lot of days!  See you then!

Last Sunday, we filled Jeff’s car with balloons for his birthday…

Exodus Homework???

John 15:1-8 (NLT)
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned for greater fruitfulness by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who parts from me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted! My true disciples produce much fruit. This brings great glory to my Father.”

Hakata Ramen (Jeff ate 3 orders of noodles)
Krispy Kreme

Benny:

Because Sunday was Halloween, Westside Pavilion was filled with little trick-or-treaters. Some kids came dressed (or perhaps their parents dressed them) in strange costumes. One of the weirdest costumes was a kid who was a half angel/half devil, an angel outfit on one side and a devil outfit on the other side.

Jonathan led us in a time of making plaster masks. The process of making the mask is supposed to allow for silence and reflection because during the 10 minutes it takes for the plaster to dry and harden, you’re not allowed to speak or make any facial expressions (although it was hard not to laugh with the humorous distractions which I shall not mention… but others feel free to comment).

To make a mask, the first step is to apply a layer of vaseline all over your face (yea, kinda gross). You want to make sure that you especially cover your eyebrows, unless you want all your eyebrows ripped off along with the mask (luckily, this didn’t happen to anyone, but it would have been kind of funny if it actually did). Then, you apply the plaster strips one at a time working from the perimeter of your face to the inside. After covering your face with about 3 layers of strips, you just wait til the plaster dries and hardens. It takes about 10 minutes.

Jon reminded us of the passage in John 4 about the woman at the well. Jesus tells her to go and call her husband and come back. She responds that she has no husband. Jesus says, “You are right! You don’t have a husband, for you have had five husbands, and now you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now.”

Jesus didn’t condemn the woman with her less than perfect past, but he did reveal that he could see behind the mask that she was putting on. All of us have masks that we put on. There are times when we are embarrassed, ashamed, or insecure. There are times when we put on masks as a part of daily survival in this crazy world. Jesus sees through all of our masks. This is profound for us as individuals and also as a body of Christ. What kind of masks do we put on as a church?

My own thought about all the mask stuff is that so many of us put on masks so we can feel safe or secure… but the safest and most secure place is a place where I don’t need the mask… where can I find such a place? Will the church be such a place?

ok… enough serious stuff…

For MORE PICTURES, go here… www.exodusla.com/gallery

Benny:
Tonight, Wendy gave us insight about our participation in Operation Christmas Child.

Operation Christmas Child brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes and the Good News of God’s love.

She talked about one of our core values, Mission (i.e. Missio Dei). We got to watch a video on how this program has given hope to kids all over the world through the donation of toys. As one man in the video said, “It’s amazing! There are so many boxes!”

If anyone missed the video and wants to see it, I’m sure Wendy can lend it to you. The video also gave instructions on what and what not to put in the shoe boxes. For example, putting war-related toys like guns, knives and grenades is a BAD idea. But small cars, balls, dolls, pen/paper, soap, and hard candy are GOOD.

The Exodus bought a bunch of rubbermaid boxes for us to use in preparing our gifts for the kids. Also, this coming Wednesday, the men’s and women’s groups are going to make a trip to Target to buy all kinds of cool stuff to fill up the boxes.

Afterwards, we all went to eat at a new place, Overland Cafe. It seems like a fusion restaurant, serving everything from burgers to pasta to various ethnic entrees.

wazzap…