FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND

“...and hath determined the times before appointed...” (from Acts 17:26)

Some of you may remember my entry last year about the embarrassing situation my daughter Rachel and I had when we went to watch the 2008 Natick 4th of July parade. (It’s in the blog archives if you really want to “dig” for it!) Well, we plan to attend the parade THIS year, and we’re playing it safe! We’re sitting across the street from where we usually sit, in a very public area! It’s hard for me to believe this is “4th of July weekend”. I can vividly remember watching the Channel 38 “Three Stooges New Year’s Eve Marathon” as though that was a mere three weeks ago. Yes, as my father frequently asked, “Where does the time GO?!” Many of you know that my favorite two holidays are Thanksgiving Day and Independence Day. This is very selfish, but they typically DON’T involve a lot of extra church work and they typically don’t involve spending an exorbitant amount of money (the way, say, Christmas does). There’s something so “Norman Rockwell” about a 4th of July parade. Natick’s is a very good one. And, the Boston Pops concert (which I watch on television!) on 4th of July evening is, well, very touching and very special. 4th of July weekend is always “different” at our church.

The following is the text of both an e-mail and a U.S. mail letter that many of you received. I would LOVE to have some of you “locals” come out and visit our church this Sunday, July 5. You don’t have to be scared. “We don’t bite!” No matter what your religious or spiritual convictions (or lack thereof) I honestly think most of you would really enjoy our 4th of July weekend service. So here’s my 4th of July weekend letter. Our church is located at 32 South Street (South and Taylor Streets) near the Chicken Bone Restaurant, right off Route 135 in downtown Framingham.

You are invited to be with us on Sunday, July 5 at 9:30 a.m.

INDEPENDENCE DAY weekend is always a special time at FIRST ASSEMBLY OF GOD OF FRAMINGHAM! For one thing, we “dress casual” - even me! I don’t wear a suit or tie- rather I put on jeans, sneakers, and a tee-shirt! For another thing, we don’t have Sunday School and we hold the service at 9:30 rather than 10:30. (We end around 11, and that gives people plenty of time for whatever festivities they’ve got planned for the day.) Most of all, there is always a very meaningful time of music, prayer, and preaching of the Word.

All of the above will be the case this year. However, in addition to that, I will be giving each person who attends this Sunday’s service an 8 and a half by 11 copy of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America. I personally have worked to prepare, photocopy and staple these as my gifts to each person who will attend this Sunday. It’s been a fair amount of work, but I’m concerned that while we all hear about and talk about these documents, many of us have never actually READ them.

This has been kind of a “George Bailey” season for me. Who is George Bailey? Well, if you remember the Christmas film, “It’s a wonderful life,” he’s the one who after a lifetime of “giving his all” in “Bedford Falls” at the “Building & Loan” found himself in a time of great crisis. An angel allowed him to see what the world would have been like if he’d never have been born- then the film ends positively as most of the community turns out to help him in a time of crisis.

You may be thinking, “Hasn’t he got the wrong holiday?! This is the Fourth of July?!” No, I haven’t! While this is summer, it’s now the “best of times and the worst of times” for me and for our church, to paraphrase the line from Charles Dickens.

I experienced a wonderful time on my “sabbatical month” in Missouri this past spring. As nutty as it may sound to some, God really “talked to me” in Missouri. No, not in an audible voice, but in a deep time of revelation and impressions. He showed me much about His plan for First Assembly of God of Framingham and for me in the near future. I came back with renewed vision. Yet, I also came back to a time of the church in crisis.

We’ve had “first-time visitors” at our church for the first time in awhile, and we’ve just had a man come forward in one of our services to receive Christ as his Personal Lord and Savior (and he’s come back!). Mary Ann is doing a tremendous job ministering to the children. A couple of us went out on South Street last Saturday with trash bags picking up trash and litter and talking to people as we did, letting our light shine on South Street and letting people know we care. I have a heart for ministry here that I have not had for awhile.

On the other hand, our overall attendance is way down compared to 2008 and 2007, and our finances are the poorest they’ve ever been.

In 1776, people “stepped up” and you all know what happened.

I know that many receiving this mailing are not regular members of our church, nor will they ever regularly attend our church, and that’s fine. But I’m asking you to do something very special on Sunday, July 5. I’m asking you to mark in on your calendar and to be present at First Assembly of God of Framingham from 9:30 through 11:00 a.m.

Yes, you will receive the copy of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States that I’ve worked to prepare for you. But, more importantly, you’ll be part of a “George Bailey” moment of blessing and encouragement for our church. AND, I’m believing God will meet you and bless you in a very special way when you come out and join us this Sunday!

In His service,
PASTOR BOB BARIL