Denver Christian Docs

The purpose of Christianity is not to avoid difficulty, but to produce a character adequate to meet it when it comes. It does not make life easy; rather it tries to make us great enough for life.

James Christensen

Hm. What do I think of this? I think it is true, and mature, and grownup Christianity. It's not gimme gimme, it's not woe is me, it's growing, developing into the creatures our Father wants us to become. It's the same thing I want for MY kids! How can I grow a bit more today?

The Denver Christian Docs group will be getting together July 22, 2007 to figure out what we want to do next year. Barbecue, BYOB (bring your own beef.) This one is for graduate members only, not for residents or students. We want to figure out next year's priorities and programs.

Think about how we as a group could serve you, in that we are made up of Christians who are also docs, dentists, spouses, and friends. Your churchmates don't understand the pressures of medicine often, and many (most?) of the docs you work with really don't understand your Christian side. For some ideas, take a look at this page from the national Christian Medical/Dental Associations Website on their 83 ministries.

Also think about how you are being called to serve. One of the things we are sensitive to is the giant sucking sound that most Christian organizations have when you get close, and you never can escape. Think about people with a life term in the Nursery at church! We don't want that here. If you have a short term idea, express it. We won't volunteer you to head the committee, recruit members, manage it for life, and bankrupt your practice. We understand the desire to do something and actually finish it.

Our major goal is for all of us to get together and have a good time, get to know each other. We want to continue the growth we have seen over the past several years in our little corner of the Body of Christ, grow, learn, enjoy ourselves and each other.

If you can't make it, be sure and send me a note with your wish list. Know a great speaker? Have an interesting topic? Want to meet in another part of town? Click on the reply button below this message or send a note to denvercmda at hot mail dot com or to my personal email if you're on our list.

Finally, if you are a Christian doc, dentist, PA, nurse, etc. and want to link up with us, reply to me the same as above and we'll get you on our email list.

I'm not a control freak, just ask DenverDocWife or DenverDocDaughter1, 2, or 3, but I know that a few docs out there have been so accused.

"You can't control the length of your life, but you can control its width and depth. You can't control the contour of your face, but you can control its expression. You can't control the weather, but you can control the atmosphere of your mind. Why worry about the things you can't control when you can keep yourself busy controlling the things that depend on you?"

FROM THIS DAYS THOUGHT.

They're back! Those Wonderful Church Bulletins! These sentences actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services:

The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.

The sermon this morning: "Jesus Walks on the Water." The sermon tonight: "Searching for Jesus".

Our youth basketball team is back in action Wednesday at 8 PM in the recreation hall. Come out and watch us kill Christ the King.

Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.

The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to a conflict.

Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say "Hell" to someone who doesn't care much about you.

Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help.

Miss Charlene Mason sang "I will not pass this way again," giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.

For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.

The Rector will preach his farewell message after which the choir will sing: "Break Forth Into Joy."

Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.

A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What Is Hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice.

Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.

Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.

The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.

Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow.

The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.

This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.

Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 AM. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B. S. is done.

The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.

Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.

The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.

The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new tithing campaign slogan last Sunday: "I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours"

I've been reading some works by G. K. Chesterton, a British writer from the late 19th to early 20th century. They are witty, clever, penetrating, and astute. Some of his best known are Heretics and Orthodoxy. Both books delight on every page. There is an American Chesterton Society dedicated to his memory.

Why have we forgotten this great apologist for the Christian faith? To ask the question is to answer it--who learns about someone who basically beat all the great secular figures of the early twentieth century in debates? He wrote 100 books!

Here are a couple of quotes to tantalize you:

"For fear of the newspapers politicians are dull, and at last they are too dull even for the newspapers." - All Things Considered, 1908

"It is terrible to contemplete how few politicians are hanged." - The Cleveland Press, 3/1/21

"Over-civilization and barbarism are within an inch of each other. And a mark of both is the power of medicine-men." - ILN 9-11-09

"The first two facts which a healthy boy or girl feels about sex are these: first that it is beautiful and then that it is dangerous." - ILN 1/9/09

And a favorite:
"The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried." - Chapter 5, What's Wrong With The World, 1910

The Institute for International Medicine has an on-line course, but has recently also released their book. It looks like it's only $28! I'm on their Email list. Seems like a good organization to keep in touch with.

News and Views from CMDA is a weekly magazine of various issues of interest. This week? Cosmetic abortion (aborting babies because of some gene that may cause a cosmetic defect), the release of Dr. Kevorkian from jail, and FDA approval of a birth control pill that also suppresses periods.