Blest Be the Tie that Binds

Good morning everyone,

 

Grace and peace to all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  

GIVING THANKS:

 

• Paula Ross is feeling much better and having less migraines on this new medicine. 

 

• Daniel Ruiz expressed his thanks for the Care package that was given to him.  He appreciates everyone’s prayers and encouragement.

 

• Mary Lou’s doctor gave her permission to drive and get back to normal!  Praise God and thanks to all for the prayers for her healing.

 

 

PRAYER REQUESTS:

 

• Margaret flew down to Florida with her brother Tom to visit their sister-in-law Lynn Lane.  Lynn is on hospice. Prayers for all of the family at this difficult time.

• Mel has been moved to Lord Chamberlain Rehabilitation center in Stratford and is getting better.

 

• Prayers for Gus & Nancy Roldan, and Mike & Ginny Lichac former members of Trumbull. They lost their son  (Ginny & Mike’s Grandson) Christopher who passed away this past week.  Our sincere and heartfelt prayers for the family at this difficult time.

• Randy Springer is at St. Vincent’s hospital with severe neck pain and undergoing tests.

 

• Pamela Pimpton requested prayers for her friend Crystal Bates whose daughter is going through a divorce.

 

• Jeff Warren is recovering from having Covid.

 

• My sister Patti Early’s husband Kevin has A-Fib and will be having a heart procedure on November 15^th.

 

• Prayers for Leah Fernandes’ brother David Pinto who was diagnosed with a mass in his lung that must be removed. He is still undergoing PET/CT test and will see a Thoracic & Vascular surgeon soon. They also found an aneurysm developing on his spleen.

• Pat Yaglowski continues to struggle with chronic and intense pain and other medical issues.  Continued prayers. 

 

• Lillie Bendolph’s brother has been quite ill after having had covid and other major health issues,  but thankfully is showing signs of improvement.  She is sorry she is unable to come but sends her love to all.

 

• Debbie Christy went to the ER this past week with muscle spasms.   She is being treated with prednisone and a muscle relaxer. 

• Our son-in-law Matthew McMullen's Grand-Father Robert Birdsall is in ICU with bleeding on the brain.  He is not a candidate for surgery so they are watching him closely.

 

COMING UP:

  

• Reminder that Trunk or Treat is tonight at 6:30. For safety purposes, cars can head to the back parking lot. This is a safe and fun activity so invite friends and neighbors.  Be sure to Bring treats for approximately 25 kids and have FUN with this!  Please note:  the doors to the back of the building will be locked.  If anyone needs to use the facilities, please go to the front of the building to use the bathrooms that are upstairs. Thanks again to Jayden Rzasa for leading this event.

 

  

A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE photo display is displayed in our Fellowship hall.   Please take some time either before or after bible class & worship on Sunday, to view the photos that represent our years of fellowship.   Here is a photo challenge:  see if you can find the picture of Mildred jumping rope in amongst the photos!  She was in her 80’s in this photo!

 

 

 

Our 150^th church anniversary weekend is a few days away.  Lord willing, we look forward to seeing many of our past members, some who are local and many who live far away who will be traveling long distances to attend.  Pray for everyone’s safe travels.   

 

This is our first time in using the building for a large gathering and luncheon for both Saturday & Sunday in several years (primarily due to covid restrictions).  We thank everyone for their help thus far, and in advance for your help this coming weekend.   

 

In trying to help streamline the process , if you have signed up to bring food, please take note:

 

SUNDAY POT LUCK INFORMATION:

 

Thanks to Jay & Flo Repecko who will be manning the kitchen for our Pot Luck.

 

• Any hot food that you have signed up to bring(i.e. chicken or mashed potatoes) needs to be brought in thoroughly cooked in the chafing dishes we have provided for you and brought in hot (so the food can go right into the warmer).  This way the pans can be easily discarded once the trays are emptied.  If you haven’t received your chafing dish, please take one that is on the back table.

 

• If you have signed up to bring in a dessert, please make sure all desserts are already pre-cut on a platter that can be discarded.  We are trying to avoid time with clean up and limiting it to cleaning the serving utensils.

 

• All cookies for the (hymn-sing)can be brought downstairs where we will store them in one of the classrooms until the pot- luck is over.

 

 

AFTER EVERYONE IS DONE EATING AT THE POT-LUCK, TABLES WILL BE TAKEN DOWN except for a few that will line up near the two walls near the photo boards. These tables are for the cookies for fellowship hour after the hymn-sing.   Water , coffee and drinks need to be replenished as well.

 

 

Attached is the schedule of events:   

 

 

SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP Our brothers and sisters in Christ in the Spanish Ministry will join us along with all of our visitors.   Right after worship, will be our pot-luck meal. 

AREA CONGREGATION HYMN-SING Right after the pot- luck, we will have a hymn sing with many who will attend from local congregations.  It will be a beautiful way to end the weekend with singing & praise to God. 

 

 

This anniversary event is triggering lots of emotions since we will be reuniting with many brothers and sisters in Christ from when they worshipped here many years ago.   Time has brought many changes, and distances have separated us through the years.   Also, many who desired to be here this weekend are unable to because of illness, or family members being ill.  Our hearts and prayers go out to all. But the one thing that ties us all together is the deep love of Jesus Christ.  These ties bind us together in an eternal relationship with one another, in the Lord.

 

Blest Be the Tie that Binds is a hymn that speaks of our deep bonds as Christians. 

 

John Fawcett was born in 1740 in England and was orphaned at the age of 12.   He became an apprentice to a tailor and was self-educated.  He was converted by the preaching of George Whitefield at the age of 16 and began preaching soon after.  In 1765 he was called to a preach at a small, poor country church in Wainsgate, Yorkshire where he bonded deeply with the congregation. Seven years later he received a call from the large and influential Carter’s Lane Church in London, England. Fawcett accepted the call and preached his farewell sermon.  The day of departure came and his family’s belongings were loaded on carts.  But the distraught congregation with love and tears, begged him to stay.   Fawcett decided not to take the other job, and stayed to serve in Wainsgate for the remainder of his ministry.  He wrote this hymn an initially titled it “Brotherly Love”.  It is essentially about the communion of saints, bound together in love, unity in worship, encouraging one another with the hope of eternal life in glory, where we will be reunited with departed family and friends.  

 

Blest be the tie that binds

Our hearts in Christian love;

The fellowship of kindred minds

Is like to that above.

 

Before our Father’s throne

We pour our ardent prayers;

Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one,

Our comforts and our cares.

 

We share our mutual woes,

Our mutual burdens bear,

And often for each other flows

The sympathizing tear.

 

When we are called to part,

It gives us inward pain;

But we shall still be joined in heart,

And hope to meet again.

 

This glorious hope revives

Our courage by the way;

While each in expectation lives

And waits to see the day.

 

From sorrow, toil and pain,

And sin, we shall be free;

And perfect love and friendship reign,

Through all eternity.

 

 

This song captures a glimpse of heaven while we are here on earth.  The lyrics testify to the power of Christ-

centered fellowship and worship.  Our deep bonds within the church – the bride of Christ – is “like to that above”.

 

Christ binds our hearts in a way that previews glory, in bonds that are deeper than common friendships.  We pray for each other, with each other, and our prayers are centered on a common goal. To glorify God and be united in Christ.  When we are separated from each other, either on earth or by death, we have the hope of seeing everyone again in heaven!   This hope keeps our bonds un-broken.

 

 

 

We find courage to face whatever life brings our way and know that Jesus will return to unify us all with Him and with one another.  We will part from all sadness, pain, and sin here on earth, but our perfect love and bonds will remain with us into eternity.

 

Romans 8:16 – 18 “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” Vs. 18.  I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us”.  Vs. 38 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

 

John 17:11 “I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me – so they may be one as we are one.”

 

John 17:20,21  “My prayer is not for them alone, I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

 

1 Corinthians 12:25-27 “..so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.  If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”

 

The hymn “Blest Be the Tie that Binds” refers to the church as the family of God bound together by spiritual kinship. 

 

Galatians 3:26-28 “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” 

 

The church, the Bride of Christ is a beautiful gift from God.  Our church family here is a beautiful gift from God.  Each and every soul from our youngest member to our oldest member, is precious.   

We have so much to be thankful for….Keep singing!

 

 

BIND US TOGETHER LORD

Bind us together Lord;

Bind us together, with cords that cannot be broken.

 

Bind us together Lord;

Bind us together Lord,

Bind us together with Love.

 

There is only one God.

There is only one King

There is only one body,

That is why we can sing.

 

Bind us together Lord;

Bind us together with cords that cannot be broken.

 

Bind us together Lord;

Bind us together Lord,

Bind us together with Love.

 

 

 

A COMMON LOVE

“As I have loved you, you just love one another.” Jon 13:34-35

 

A common Love for each other,

A common give to the Savior,

A common bond holding us to the Lord;

A common strength when we’re weary,

A common hope for tomorrow,

A common joy, in the truth of God’s Word.

 

 

This reunion is going to be heavenly as we offer overflowing thanks & gratitude to the Father for His rich blessings on this church.  

 

Please join us next weekend to PRAISE GOD and give HIM all the Glory!

 

 

Our love in Him,

 

Bruce & Paula