Tuesday, August 11, 2025

Thank you to our Creation Days Conference Team!  Pastor Tim, Abby, Hugh, Rebekah, and Grace.   There were a lot of little parts to the project . . .  and some big tasks too (including set up and tear down...Whew!).   Ryan Cox was great.  The event was great.   Those that took in the day and sessions were blessed.   Thank you to all who helped in some way to pull this off!  

May God continue to be glorified from that event!  

We are moving towards fall programming.  If you've been around SSB, then you know that our Wednesday nights operate different during the summer.  During the school year, we have a full Wednesday night schedule with activities for all ages.  OA:sis (One Another: sharing, inspiring, serving) begins again on Wednesday, September 3rd.   There are activities for all ages.   At 6pm, we begin with a meal (for a donation . . . even a couple of dollars is just fine).  Around 6:45, our elementary-age kids head to Kidz Clubs.  This is followed by the youth at 7pm (LIGHThouse) and adults (in either Prayer Force or a Life Group lesson).  

• Plan on joining us this season.  This is an important part of connecting to your SSB church family in the middle of the week so that you can actively serve, pray, and love one another.   
• Ask how you might be able to serve this year.  Send one of the pastors a note.   We may need help with:
  • Meals
  • Club workers (working with grades K-5th)
  • LIGHThouse workers (working with 6th - 12th grade)
  • Nursery help (wrangling and teaching the little ones)
  • Check in table help
  • Security 

Friday is Assumption on some calendars.  Every August 15th is "Assumption Day."   In the Roman Catholic tradition, it is the celebration of Mary's body and soul being taken into heaven (assumed) at the end of her life.  The "assumption of Mary" is a doctrine with zero basis from Scripture.  The doctrine can be traced back to the second through fourth century when certain teachers praised Mary's obedience and virginity, which began to venerate her in other's minds.   The idea then was suggested that she was a perpetual virgin.  At the council of Ephesus (431), she was titled "Mother of God."  The idea of her preservation from original sin began appearing in the 8th and 9th centuries.  This would also be the time when some reasoned that she was fully assumed into heaven.  It was then reasoned in 1854 that she was also immaculately conceived - no sin nature.   Pope Pius XII formally defined the Assumption as a dogma of faith in 1950.

Scripture calls Mary blessed but never gives her divine honors.  She is shown, as the mother of Jesus, to be a humble, faithful servant of God.   There is no explicit teaching of Mary being sinless, having perpetual virginity, or of interceding for believers.  Scripture is also clear that she had other children - James and Jude are both written by her sons (perpetual virginity?).

Most Roman Catholics would argue that they "venerate" Mary but do not "worship" her.   Veneration meaning that she is honored as the greatest of saints.  Honoring Mary as scripture does is appropriate; she was the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, blessed by God, and a faithful servant.  There is much to honor in remembrance of her.  The trouble begins as we blur the lines.  .  .  and this often happens.   When we begin to sing songs to Mary, pray to her, trust her as a source of grace, or suggest that she participates in our redemption in any way, we have crossed the line.  Worship alone belongs to God!  Too often Catholicism, including a feast like Assumption, sets Mary too high up. . .  at best she becomes an idol... at worst, she becomes the Catholic god.   And, either way,  we have broken God's law.   Be careful with Mary.  

Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).  This is embracing the cross.   Those executed on a cross had no “rights.”  That criminal had no future or friends.  The one on the cross had nothing.  Are we willing to have nothing but Jesus?  Embracing the cross means that we love Jesus more than anything and everything else.   It is a willingness to give up a job, possessions, even relationships to fully embrace Christ.  Are you embracing the cross?  Say “no” to self.  Be the church.