ECC-Evangelical Covenant Church
Deeper Water: The Transcendence of a Deeper Order, Part 2
We are glad you are with us today. Join us as we seek to go to deeper water with Jesus, discovering who God has made us to be and how we can be more and more conformed to God's image within us. We worship together each Sunday morning at 10:30am on Facebook, YouTube, or in person.
Locations & Times
Evangelical Covenant Church
3600 S 9th St, Lafayette, IN 47909, USA
Sunday 10:30 AM
Downloadable Bulletin
https://ecclife.nucleus.church/download/e3ab3e046abed996c57b50c6d90324307bff87b1.pdf<br><br><br>
Communication Card
Let us know you attended today's service! You can also sign up for newsletters or prayer. <br>https://ecclife.net/commcard1
How to Connect at ECC
Click below to explore many opportunities get connected.<br>https://www.ecclife.net/connect
Congregational Meeting
Please join us today at 1:00pm for our congregational meeting. We will vote on new members and hear important ministry updates from council, pastors, and staff. The meeting will be held in-person with a private link to YouTube for those who need to attend online. All members who vote will need to sign in and vote online, so <i>everyone </i>will need either a phone, tablet, or laptop to vote. We look forward to seeing you there.
Sabbatical Celebration Dinner
Part of the plan for Pastor Stacey's sabbatical, earlier this year, was that we hold a celebration dinner upon his and Kim's return. We wanted to let you know the date for that dinner and encourage you to make plans to join us. On Saturday evening, October 30 at 6:00pm, there will be a delicious meal and a brief presentation. This is a chance to celebrate what God has done and is doing through the sabbatical and for the Littlefields to say thank you to our congregation for allowing them this opportunity. And best of all, it's free! Visit ecclife.net/connect to register. All ages are welcome.
Fusion - Youth Group
Students in fifth grade through high school are invited to participate in this collaborative youth group with 4 Lafayette south side churches. We meet on Sunday evenings from 5:15-7:00, where we eat dinner, play games, hear from a speaker, worship together, and have time in age-specific small groups. Each month a different church hosts, so we’ll be at Innovation Church the entire month of October. We have leaders from ECC who will be at the group tonight, and we’d love to see you there!
Women's Connection Opportunities
Join us at one or more of the options below!<br><br><b>• NETam/pm: </b>The NETam/pm started on September 7 and 9, but there is still time to join! They will be studying Galatians with the book <i>Now That Faith Has Come</i>, co-written by Beth and Melissa Moore. Visit ecclife.net/women#net to find out more!<br><b>• Women's Retreat: </b><i>Rooted </i>is a weekend designed by women of ECC and Riverside to create space for you to step away from the normal rhythms of life and connect with God and other women. The retreat will be November 5-7 with options with and without lodging. Visit ecclife.net/womensretreat for the full details. Registration ends Thursday, October 28.
Young Life
Young life starts on November 1 runs continues on Monday nights in November, 7:30-8:30pm in the Life Center. Youth in 9th-12th grade are welcome for a time of conversation and connections.
Believers' Baptism
We will be holding Believer Baptisms on November 14. For those who have come to know and seek to follow Christ, baptism can be an important step. Baptism is an outward and visible sign of something that is inward and invisible. It's the place we make public profession of our faith in Christ, making it known to others. If you've never been baptized and feel that you are at that place in your own faith journey where it is time to take that step, we invite you sign up at ecclife.net/baptism so we can contact you with more information.
MOPs Fundraiser
MOPs is having a fundraiser with HotBox Pizza on Friday, November 12, and 20% of the sales will be donated to our MOPs group when you mention MOPs during your order or use the code GIVEBACK on your online or app orders. Flyers will be available on the Welcome Counter.
Herb Garden
ECC has a biblical herb garden located to the west of the garage. It is a place for prayer and you are free to take cuttings for your home garden. If you would like a tour or more information, Carla Weathers would be glad to help you. Please contact the office and we will connect you with Carla.
Adult Christian Formation
Sunday mornings at 9:00am on Zoom and in person in the Great Room. The Adult Sunday School Class will be starting a study entitled <i>"Flawed Families of the Bible." </i>https://ecclife.net/zoom
Wednesday Morning Men's Fellowship
Men, please join us each week at 6:30am. The ECC Wednesday Morning Men’s group is doing a study of Phillip Yancey’s book <i>The Scandal of Forgiveness - Grace Put to the Test</i>. This group is currently meeting via Zoom. For an invite, please email Ken Ritchey (kritchey@tds.net). We'd love to see you there!
Giving Online
You can give your offerings here. You can also give to special areas by commenting in the memo line. https://ecclife.net/giving
October 24, 2021
Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost
Pastor Stacey Littlefield
Considering the three words for prayer the Apostle Paul uses in Philippians 4.6, which one resonates most with your experience? As a refresher, each of the words speaks to an inner attitude of heart, out of which flows a type of prayer:
prayer: according to Mulholland, this word is often used by Paul to refer to an inner attitude of being sensitive and aware of God's presence, and pliable to God's leading.
petition: refers to an attitude of yieldedness and dependence upon God for all things; free to ask God for whatever we would like, but open to being told no.
thanksgiving: just what it sounds like; striving to see the good God does, the gifts God gives us, and giving thanks for all these things.
In Genesis 28, Jacob has a dream while he is sleeping. In this dream, God speaks clearly to him and he sees angels ascending and descending on a ladder reaching to heaven. When Jacob awakes, he says, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it."
Can you think of a time when you were unaware that God was with you or working in your life, but you later looked back and saw God's hand at work?
What does it mean for "the peace of God" to guard your heart and mind for you, personally? Have you ever had this kind of experience of God's peace? If so, how would you describe it? I
Re-read Philippians 4.8-9. As you read through the list of things Paul encourages us to "think about", what examples come to mind from your everyday life? What works of art come to mind (film, books, music, paintings, or photography)? What sights and sounds in nature? What "good" do you think it does us to "think about such things"?
Choose a word or phrase that speaks to you about God's goodness, or simply choose the name of Jesus. It might be a line from a verse, "Be still and know that I am God", or "Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart." This will be the phrase or word you breathe in or out on to draw you back to the place of silence if you get distracted.
Find a place where you can be alone. Sitting in a chair with feet on the ground and hands on your lap is often suggested.
Set your phone to "do not disturb", then set a timer for 5 minutes.
Begin by breathing slowly. Allow you body to relax. Simply seek to be aware of God as you sit.
If ever you are distracted, do not worry. Everyone struggles with distraction. Simply call to mind the word or phrase you chose earlier repeat it a few times with your breathing to let it refocus your attention.
When the timer goes off, say a prayer of thanks to God, or sing the doxology: Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise him all creatures here below; praise him above ye, heavenly host; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! Amen!
Practicing God's Presence from Lectio 365
Following the link below for a brief document introducing how to practice God's presence. It's from the folks at <i>Lectio 365 </i>and the 24-7 Prayer Movement.
https://downloads.24-7prayer.com/prayer_course/2019/resources/pdfs/8%20How%20to%20Practise%20the%20Presence%20of%20God.pdfPracticing His Presence
Click the link below to purchase the book, <i>Practicing His Presence, </i>by Brother Lawrence and Frank Laubach, referenced in today's message.
https://www.amazon.com/Practicing-Presence-Library-Spiritual-Classics/dp/0940232014/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3HTLKOOT27WGI&dchild=1&keywords=practicing+his+presence+frank+laubach+and+brother+lawrence&qid=1635000766&qsid=140-2391730-8080722&s=books&sprefix=practicing+his+presence%2Cstripbooks%2C183&sr=1-1&sres=0940232014%2C1948481162%2C1521299757%2C1495341631%2C0883681056%2CB085HN8QS7%2C0935216219%2C1420953664%2CB0006WMKF0%2C1583310916%2C1629101699%2C0615516378%2CB0029I0IN0&srpt=ABIS_BOOKCommit to praying this prayer* as God leads--one or two days a week, or every day through the week before Christmas. Once you have made the commitment, write your commitment to prayer in the "notes" section below.
Father, Creator of everything in heaven and on earth,
I pray that out of your glorious riches You may strengthen us with power through your Spirit in our inner being, so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith. And I pray that we, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that we may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to You who are able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to your power that is at work within us, to You be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
*adapted from Ephesians 3:14-21
Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.