Church Requel Blog - Writings of Mark Pierce

Which Kind Of Worshiper Are You?

Good Friday morning Church Requel!

What kind of worshiper are you? That's the question we will be asking during Sunday morning's sermon. Our Bible text will be John 12:1-8 - the story of Mary pouring out the expensive perfume on Jesus' feet.

I had never really considered these verses from the standpoint of different styles of worship before. Clearly Mary is worshiping in a grand way. However, there are other worshipers present. It just may be that you will identify more with one of the others. What do I mean? Show up Sunday morning to find out!

Can't be there in person? No problem! We will be streaming the worship service on our Facebook page and on YouTube. Here is the YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/live/sQ3-Awrm8jw?feature=share.

Can't wait until Sunday? No problem! You'll find the text to my sermon on your Bible app. Or you can just click here: http://bible.com/events/49036739.

March of Prayer begins this week! For the 5th year in a row Mansfield area churches will be participating in the March of Prayer. Each evening, usually from 6pm to 8pm, a different church will host. These evenings will be filled with worship and prayer in the style of the hosting church. Each will be different and in that difference God is glorified. (Hmmm... seems like that would be a good topic for a sermon. Wait! That IS our topic this Sunday. Wow - what a coincidence!)

I recognize that everyone cannot attend every evening. However, I would highly recommend that you make plans now to attend as many as you can. You will come out of the March at the end of March a very different worshiper than when you started. Would you like to know the schedule? Glad you asked. Here is a link - http://bit.ly/3knwjfz

One week from Sunday - March 5th - Church Requel will be the host church. I sure do hope you come to that one! Your Requel Praise Band will be leading worship that Sunday evening. Lots of folks usually come to hear what you get to hear each Sunday morning. There are a couple other evenings when either Brandi or I will also be leading in worship. I'll let you know about those dates as we get closer to them.

Bible Study Saturday Morning. Brian Betts will be hosting our Saturday morning study tomorrow at 11am in the Chome at Church Requel. This is only the 2nd meeting, so if you missed the first one you can still come and not be too far behind. The name of the study is Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. Here is a link to the video for tomorrow morning. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-M93Zyv37xPpRWgmEodnUHv7otnHCWYV/view?usp=share_link

Don't you just love being a Christ-follower in this place and time? Mansfield, Ohio and the March of Prayer and Church Requel... what a great combination! Can't wait to see you all this weekend.

Love you much! Pastor Mark

Stumble and Wonder

Good Friday morning Church Requel!

I love my Friday mornings. I always imagine that I'm sitting here with all of you. I imagine your faces and your families and our friendships. I think about the upcoming weekend when once again we can gather together as loved ones of our Heavenly Father. Some of you let me know you look forward to these Friday morning love notes too. Thank you for that!

Sunday morning we consider Jesus' words in John 10. What a wonderful chapter! The debate continues between Jesus and the religious leaders of his day. Jesus tells us that he is the gate as well as the gatekeeper. Jesus is the shepherd and we are his sheep. We hear and listen to his voice. We learn that the reason Jesus came to Earth is that we "may have life and have it to the full!"

Wow! This is such good news! Some people stumble when told that Jesus is the only way to salvation and to God. Some people wonder. I have some thoughts to share with you from my own wonderings this week and can't wait for Sunday to get here. I hope you feel the same. If you want an advanced peek, check out my sermon notes here: http://bible.com/events/49029091.

Here are the songs we plan to sing Sunday morning: "This Is Amazing Grace" by Phil Wickham; "A Thousand Hallelujahs" by Brooke Ligertwood; (NEW) "Fear Is Not My Future" by Maverick City Music; "Agnus Dei / How Great Is Our God" - a brand new mashup by Brandi!; "Revelation Song" by Kari Jobe; and "King Of Kings" by Hillsong. It looks to me that once again Brandi has planned an amazing worship experience for us!

For those who cannot attend in person, you can watch online. What a wonderful opportunity. I just learned that 99-year-old Georgiana has been sick for a couple days (she should be going home today). But even she figured out how to watch online. (I bet she's back in person before you know it!) Maybe you know someone who can't get out and would be encouraged to watch. Tell them about our Facebook Page or share this YouTube link with them! 

https://www.youtube.com/live/2zEnjDrUYho?feature=share

Saturday Morning Bible Study - A brand new study begins tomorrow morning at 11am. We meet in the Chome at Church Requel. Brian Betts will lead this study using the book, Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis. Brian is going way above and beyond by also making biscuits and gravy for everyone who comes! Yay! There is a 22-minute discussion video available if you'd like to check it out before you come. https://drive.google.com/file/d/135f0JvscuBOb-GtqYk6HTJc5jxVF9AWI/view

Saturday Night Neighborhood Meal - Thanks for many of you signing up once again to serve our neighbors a warm, free meal. We are also pleased to see that Eric and Cindy will be leading the way for this service opportunity! Plan to show up by 4pm. We serve the meal at 5pm. We are usually finished by 6pm.

March of Prayer - Sunday March 5th. It is hard to believe that this year's March of Prayer event has already come around again. This is something truly unique about the churches in Mansfield, Ohio. I know of no other place on Planet Earth where this happens. Each day in March (and this year all the way through Easter Sunday in April) a different church will host from 6pm to 8pm. Our evening to host will be Sunday, March 5th. So get this date on your calendar now. Already our band is making plans.

This year the March of Prayer will have an emphasis on addiction recovery, the casualties of addiction, the cost of addiction and the source of healing from addiction. We are most thankful for Pastor Paul Lintern for his leadership of the March of Prayer. 

I hope that you will plan to attend many of these services. Soon, I will have a full schedule available for all of you. Maybe you could talk with some of your friends and make plans to go to some of these services together. Each one is special and reflects the unique worship styles of the different congregations involved.

Love you much! Hope to see you Saturday and Sunday both! Pastor Mark

Jesus Sees Me

Good Friday Morning Church Requel!

There is a heart-rending scene in the second season of The Chosen, when Nathaniel is sitting under a lone fig tree in the middle of a field. Nathaniel is alone, crying out to God. He wanted to be an architect and build synagogues for God. But his first plans, carefully crafted and held in his hands, had been an utter failure. The building had collapsed and he was ruined. He lit the blueprints on fire and threw the ashes into the air as the wind carried away his hopes and his dreams. He cried out to God: “Do you see me? Do you see me?”

Later, when he met Jesus for the first time, Jesus said to him: “I saw you under the fig tree!”

My message to you Sunday morning is a simple one. Jesus sees you! I don't know everything you are going through today, but Jesus does. He sees you. He loves you. He wants to heal you in body and in spirit. Know you are not alone. Ever.

We follow the Scripture lesson this Sunday not from the story of Nathaniel, but rather from the perspective of the man born blind in John 9. The gospel writer devotes an entire chapter to this event. In John's mind, this healing of the man born blind receives the same space as the woman at the well and the conversation with Nicodemus. I'm looking forward to sharing it with you. For those of you that like to read ahead, I encourage you to read John 9 for yourself. And if you'd like to read my own thoughts ahead of time, check out my sermon notes online here: http://bible.com/events/49025322.

We have great plans for the worship music Sunday morning. Here are the songs we will sing together: "Open The Eyes Of My Heart Lord" by Michael W. Smith; "Good Good Father" by Chris Tomlin; "Another Hallelujah" by Lincoln Brewster; "The Lion & The Lamb" by Big Daddy Weave; "Broken Vessels" by Hillsong; "No Sweeter Name" by Kari Jobe; and "There's Nothing That Our God Can't Do" by Passion.

Let's be generous and not keep this good worship service to ourselves! Tell other people about it. Invite them to come to church with you. Or tell them about the online stream. You can find it on our Church Requel Facebook page or on YouTube at this link: https://www.youtube.com/live/uqyKTSVviyk?feature=share

Neighborhood Meal on Saturday February 11th. One week from tomorrow we will be serving our neighbors a free meal. We appreciate Eric and Cindy leading the way for us. We can all help out by showing up at 4pm and helping to set up. So put this time on your calendar now. Also, there is a sign up sheet in the lobby at church. If you haven't already signed up, do so. It will let Eric know who he can count on.

Looking forward to seeing all of you Sunday morning at 11. Love you much! Pastor Mark