In memory of Jim Weddle
The Pregame show
Invocation: Andrae Gonzales
Flag Salute: Jason Cater
Song: Signee Hoffman Swartley
Door Greeters: Diane Duquette & Ken Secor
Good News & Announcements
Sheryl Barbich went a little long on her introduction of her guest and was ready with a $10 bill when President Ray fined her for it.
It was good to see Garro "The Gimp" Ellis back with us.
Tracy Kiser shared an upcoming event called "Stories on the Sidewalk" on Saturday, February 9th, 11am - 2pm. It will be held downtown and benefits the Arts Council of Kern. The journey down Kern's past will start at the Arts Council of Kern with food and beverages. Then visitors will head out on a journey to some of downtown's most historic (and some notorious!) locations. Tickets and information can be found at the
Arts Council of Kern website.
Ken Beurmann introduced his friend and new member of our Rotary (and future guest editor of the Spoke), Nik Boone.
The Program
Reverend Doctor Pastor Jeff Chandler shared some stories from his 2017 Sabbatical. But the underlying message was that we, as Americans, are just too busy. We need to take more timeouts and create a balance between work and inner contemplation. We need to recharge and refocus for the task on hand.
For his Sabbatical, he decided to study the early church reformers.
What is the Reformation?
The Protestant Reformation was the 16th-century religious, political, intellectual and cultural upheaval that splintered Catholic Europe, setting in place the structures and beliefs that would define the continent in the modern era. In northern and central Europe, reformers like Martin Luther, John Calvin and Henry VIII challenged papal authority and questioned the Catholic Church’s ability to define Christian practice. They argued for a religious and political redistribution of power into the hands of Bible- and pamphlet-reading pastors and princes. The disruption triggered wars, persecutions and the so-called Counter-Reformation, the Catholic Church’s delayed but forceful response to the Protestants.
Jeff focused his talk today on the two heavyweight reformers, Martin Luther and John Calvin. He said it was very inspirational to stand in the very place that these events took place.
The takeaways from his trip:
- God used (and still does) imperfect people to achieve his will.
- The folks of that time were committed to the truth.
- The ingredients for the reformer's success included: revelation, conversion, prayer, thought, time, and hard work.
VISITORS & GUESTS
Jennifer Pitcher guest of Sheryl Barbich
Scott Thygerson guest of Russell Judd
Dana Brennan guest of Brad Hannink
Michael Lukens and Logan Belz guest of Lynnette Zelezny
