<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.18812">
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT size=4>And now greatness comes in our taking up the mantle of our
Lord's servant-hood, following in his way, and welcoming the lost and
alone</FONT>.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.crossings.org/theology/2009/theolo747.shtml">http://www.crossings.org/theology/2009/theolo747.shtml</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Michael Hoy</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV><FONT size=4><FONT
size=7 face=BookAntiqua-Bold><FONT size=7 face=BookAntiqua-Bold>
<DIV align=left><FONT size=4>T</FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT size=1 face=T2><FONT
size=1 face=T2><FONT size=4>HE TASK OF THE CHURCH IS TO MAKE DISCIPLES OF THE
UNCHURCHED. SOME</FONT></DIV></FONT></FONT><FONT size=2 face=BookAntiqua><FONT
size=4 face=BookAntiqua>
<DIV>might add we must make disciples of the churched as
well.</DIV></FONT></FONT></FONT>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.luthersem.edu/word&world/Archives/14-3_Sex/14-3_Juel.pdf">http://www.luthersem.edu/word&world/Archives/14-3_Sex/14-3_Juel.pdf</A></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV><FONT face=BookAntiqua><FONT face=BookAntiqua>
<DIV><FONT size=4>D</FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT size=4><FONT
face=BookAntiqua>ONALD </FONT><FONT face=BookAntiqua><FONT face=BookAntiqua>H.
J</FONT></FONT><FONT face=BookAntiqua>UEL, 1994 </FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4 face=BookAntiqua>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT
face=BookAntiqua></FONT></FONT> </DIV></FONT></FONT><FONT size=4><FONT
size=4><FONT size=2 face="Book Antiqua"><FONT size=2 face="Book Antiqua">
<DIV align=left><EM><FONT size=4 face="Times New Roman">Then little children
were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray.
The disciples spoke sternly to </FONT><FONT size=4 face="Times New Roman">those
who brought them; but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do
not stop them; for it is to such as these that the </FONT></EM><FONT size=4
face="Times New Roman"><EM>kingdom of heaven belongs.” </EM><FONT size=2
face="Book Antiqua"><FONT size=2 face="Book Antiqua"><FONT size=4
face="Times New Roman">Matthew
19:13-14</FONT></DIV></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT>
<DIV><FONT size=4><></FONT></DIV><FONT face="Book Antiqua"><FONT
face="Book Antiqua">
<DIV align=left><FONT size=4 face="Times New Roman">According to the National
Education Association, “The statistics for turnover among </FONT><FONT size=4
face="Times New Roman">new teachers are startling. Some 20 percent of all new
hires leave the classroom within three years. In urban districts, </FONT><FONT
size=4 face="Times New Roman">the numbers are worse—close to 50 percent of
newcomers flee the profession during their first five years of
teaching”</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4 face="Times New Roman">(<A
href="http://www.greatpublicschools.org">www.greatpublicschools.org</A>).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4 face="Times New Roman"><></FONT></DIV><FONT
face="Book Antiqua"><FONT face="Book Antiqua">
<DIV align=left><FONT size=4 face="Times New Roman">According to the
</FONT></FONT></FONT><I><FONT size=4 face="Times New Roman">Raleigh
Report</FONT></I><FONT face="Book Antiqua"><FONT face="Book Antiqua"><FONT
size=4 face="Times New Roman">, published by </FONT><FONT size=4
face="Times New Roman">the North Carolina Council of Churches, “The pattern in
other states has been that funding from the state budget </FONT><FONT size=4
face="Times New Roman">drops about as much as lottery revenues provide to a
dedicated purpose . . . The result is that, a few years later, education
</FONT><FONT size=4 face="Times New Roman">is no better off financially than it
was to begin with” (</FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT size=4><I><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Raleigh Report</FONT></I><FONT face="Book Antiqua"><FONT
face="Book Antiqua"><FONT face="Times New Roman">, March 24,
2005).</FONT></DIV></FONT></FONT></FONT>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"></FONT></FONT> </DIV></FONT></FONT>
<DIV><FONT size=4><A
href="http://nccouncilofchurches.org/resources/downloads/lectionary/Separate%20Sections/4Education-Final.pdf">http://nccouncilofchurches.org/resources/downloads/lectionary/Separate%20Sections/4Education-Final.pdf</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV><FONT size=4><FONT
size=2 face="Book Antiqua"><FONT size=2 face="Book Antiqua">
<DIV><FONT size=4 face="Times New Roman">M</FONT></FONT></FONT>OLLY S<FONT
size=1 face="Book Antiqua"><FONT size=1 face="Book Antiqua"><FONT size=4
face="Times New Roman">HIVERS</FONT></DIV></FONT></FONT></FONT>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><EM>- - - - -</EM></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><EM></EM> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>The whole issue of 'greatness' is one the churches refuse to
deal with, those officially hierarchical & others that get there anyhow.
Today, churches are in self-destruct mode over issues of doctrine (or lack of
it) & the application of that doctrine (or lack of it) to issues like
(homo-)sexuality. All give clear evidence of being more worried about keeping
their own version of hierarchical structure intact than becoming like a little
child, one of God's little people of all ages.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT size=4></FONT></EM> </DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/marginallymark/MMK93037P15.html">http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/marginallymark/MMK93037P15.html</A></FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Brian McGowan</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>When we are afraid - seeking power and strength and control -
we cannot listen to each other. But when we really listen we will find what we
all have in common - a frightened child within. Children have a fantastic
capacity to communicate even without a common language and to forget and make-up
quickly after a hurt. They have as yet no wealth, power, prestige, role, image
that they have to defend or have become enslaved to.<BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.bible.claret.org/liturgy/daily/sundays_pierse/cycleB/B_25thSunOT.htm">http://www.bible.claret.org/liturgy/daily/sundays_pierse/cycleB/B_25thSunOT.htm</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Gerry Pierse</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>But who was the "child" of which Jesus spoke? Who was the Christian to
serve? In one respect, the Christian was to show hospitality those who had the
social status of the child: the outcast, the sinner, the sick and feeble. In
another respect, the Christian was to show hospitality to all of God's children,
regardless if they were friend or foe. In a third respect, the Christian was to
show hospitality to those who had become the "children" of the community, the
Christian missionary who risked life and limb to spread the Good News. </DIV>
<DIV><></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in" class=italics>Try this simple exercise of
imagination. Place yourself in the center of the Twelve along the side of Jesus.
In your mind's eye, face Jesus and watch him embrace you. Do you feel the
strength of his arms, the tenderness of his touch, the warmth of his hands? Do
you feel the strength of his love? After the exercise, think about those in your
life that need the embrace of Christ? How can you help them to receive that
embrace?</P></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.word-sunday.com/Files/b/25-b/A-25-b.html">http://www.word-sunday.com/Files/b/25-b/A-25-b.html</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Larry Broding</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>