“Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. At this, the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him. Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.”
Jonah 1:15-17
Last week, we began a new sermon series at church that’s centered on the book of Jonah. And this upcoming Sunday, we’ll be moving forward and focusing on the giant fish in our tale.
From my experience as a Pastor, the part of this book that people are often the most perplexed by is this account of a giant fish swallowing Jonah. And throughout the centuries, people of faith have wrestled with what to do with this strange part of the story. And some have defended it as a literal yet miraculous event that happened within history. In contrast, others have read this story more as an allegory or a parable of sorts, meant to teach us spiritual, not historical, truths.
Regardless of which approach makes more sense to you, I think what’s important to realize is that this is a powerful story that’s so much bigger than the question of whether a giant fish happened to literally shallow a prophet over 2,000 years ago.
You see, what we’ll see this Sunday is that Jonah experienced a radical change of heart in the belly of this fish. And this prodigal prophet, who had previously tried to run away from God, begins praising God in the belly of this fish as he recommits to doing God’s will. And I think that’s the more profound miracle in the story that all of us can celebrate. Because regardless of what you might believe about the fish in this story, what matters the most is that God’s grace and mercy can transform our hearts. Just like how God changed Jonah’s heart.
Peace,
Pastor Chris
Operation Christmas Child
Currently, our church is gathering Christmas presents to be distributed to children who find themselves in need around the world. Here’s how are the various ways you can be a part of this ministry: You can financially contribute to this ministry by making a check to the “Samaritan’s Purse” and putting “Operation Christmas Child” in the memo section. Our church will send those checks in with the gifts that we collect to Samaritan’s Purse, the organization that leads and oversees this ministry.
You can take an OCC box from the back of the sanctuary, fill it with gifts, and bring it back to the church.
You can purchase individual gifts and leave them in the box. We will be packing all of these gathered gifts into our OCC boxes after worship on Sunday, November 21st.
Click the link for more details on what ideal gifts to purchase:
https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/what-goes-in-my-shoebox-suggestions
Family Promise
Our Family Promise ministry is gearing up to collect and deliver food for a new family in the next week or so. We are looking for a volunteer to buy food and another volunteer to deliver food. Should you purchase the food, you will be given the names and needs of the individual/or family. If you are interested in being part of this important outreach ministry, please connect with Walter Maze or John Newton.
Sermon Series Survey
As 2022 gets closer, Pastor Chris is beginning to pray and discern what God is calling him to preach on in the new year. By clicking on the link below, you can fill out an anonymous survey that will help him get a better sense of what you think might be helpful to focus on in the coming year.
https://forms.gle/3vvdyxDjBpGZ5ppN6
Whitehouse Wind Symphony Concert
On December 5th, at 3 pm, our church will be hosting a musical performance by the Whitehouse Wind Symphony in our sanctuary. All are welcome, and this event is free of charge!
Redemption of Scrooge
On November 14th, our Adult Sunday School is starting an Advent book study on The Redemption of Scrooge. In it, author Matthew Rawle explores what Ebenezer Scrooge’s story tells us about God’s redeeming love. The Adult Sunday School meets before church on Sundays at 9:00 in the A-Wing conference room. If you are interested in being a part of this group or have questions about it, please connect with Bruce LaPenta at blapenta@embarqmail.com.
Youth Group Gathering
The next Youth Group gathering will be Sunday, November 21st. If you have a middle schooler or teenager who might be interested in joining youth group, you can connect with Pastor Chris or reach out to us at flemingtonumc@yahoo.com for more details.
A Prodigal Prophet