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Welcome reader to this week's News & Notes email...
This Sunday, after we honor our high school and college graduates during the Worship Gathering, we'll look at a very critical chapter in the book of Nehemiah as part of our Building Lives campaign. What we will learn from the fifth chapter of Nehemiah will have the potential to protect Riverwood for years to come, or reveal our future demise. So I really hope you can make it this Sunday!
Now on to this week's article...
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Giving Your Gift
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This week, though, we jump from chapter 25 all the way to Exodus 35, for it is in Exodus 35 that we begin to see the people actually give. In verses 4-9, we see Moses call the people together and begin to reiterate what God shared with him back in chapter 25 while Moses was up on the mountain. Then in verse 21 of chapter 35, we see the people begin to give as invited:
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"And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the Lord’s contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments." (Exodus 35:21, ESV)
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Good Intentions Are Not Enough
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Forgive me for a moment as I throw some conjecture into Exodus 35, but imagine a few of the Israelites heard Moses' inspiring speech at the start of Exodus 35 and thought, "This is exciting! Count me in!" But when they got back to their tent, they got sidetracked by kids, or chores, or a conversation with a neighbor, and they forgot to grab their contribution and bring it. They had the best of intentions - but you can't give good intentions.
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If you are like me, most everything you do is done with "good intentions." I can't recall a time in my life when I intentionally said I'd do something, knowing full well I would never actually accomplish it. While I know I have let some people down (heck, I've even let myself down!), I have fully had the best of intentions when I said I'd do something for someone.
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However, while I might have the best of intentions when it comes to the Building Lives campaign, I can't give good intentions. Just as the tabernacle could not have been built on good intentions, we will never be able to purchase the building at 2704 5th Ave NW with good thoughts and hopeful hearts. We must be like the ancient Israelites and actually give our gifts. We can't just give them in our heads. We have to write the check, we have to put the cash in an envelope, we have to open the online donation form, and then actually give the gift.
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So if you are willing, if your heart has been stirred, if you've prayed about what to give, if you have submitted yourself to God, would you now bring your gift? And if it is going to take some time to get your gift collected and prepared to be given, can you give us the heads-up on what you plan to give before July 3?
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Erin Bird - Teaching Pastor
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Grad Sunday
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Congratulations to our graduates! This Sunday, we will be honoring our 2022 graduates and praying over them. Don't forget to give us a heads up via email if you have a college and/or high school graduate, so we can send them off with a gift and prayer!
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Volunteers Needed
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With summer weather and vacations keeping people busy, we’d love for extra hands to make light work! We are looking for the following volunteers:
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- two more people to join a rotating team that cleans the bathrooms and lobby each week
- Café volunteers willing to help on Sundays
- 3 to 4 people to help mow around the building; riding mower will be provided
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Let us know via email if you can help!
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No Kids Creek - May 29
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Just a heads up that there will be No Kids Creek (Kids' church) on Memorial weekend.
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Just For Fun
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Did you go outside and check out the lunar eclipse earlier this week? If watching the moon slowly be eclipsed over two hours was too slow for you, maybe you'd like this "in-the-dark" activity!
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