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		<title>Pastoral Blog</title>
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		<copyright>Copyright 2012 Pastoral Blog, All rights reserved.</copyright>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Impact (Missional) Communities - 3 months in ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.hopechapelcma.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/40266</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ (By Nora Wheeler)
For those of you that do not know much about the IMPACT Communities maybe I can help. I wasn&amp;#39;t real keen with the idea at first. &amp;nbsp;I mean, we already did some service projects, so what about in-reach, you know, caring for each other? That was my biggest concern.
I was involved over the last few years with a lot of service projects and someone would announce a service project and all I had to do was show up. It was simple. I liked that. If I could make it, I would, or if it was a really cool one, I&amp;#39;d bring my granddaughter Olivia with me too. It was fun and easy and it was another way I could serve God by helping people I didn&amp;#39;t know and meet new people in my church. &amp;nbsp;I was willing to use the little time I did have, to serve by raking leaves, serving in carnivals, things that would ignite me for a while. Then I started to wonder if I really was serving God or just making myself feel better? &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;I would go one a service project and often t... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Devotional Thought ]]></category>
		<author>weldonlemke@comcast.net (Nora Wheeler)</author>
		<pubDate>Sat, 28 Jan 2012 13:57:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[ What is a church? ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.hopechapelcma.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/39660</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Jesus was once asked what the greatest commandment was.&amp;nbsp; His response was this:&amp;nbsp; &amp;quot;Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. &amp;nbsp;This is the first and greatest commandment.&amp;nbsp;And the second is like it:&amp;nbsp;Love your neighbor as yourself.&amp;quot; (Matthew 22)&amp;nbsp;
&amp;nbsp;
At the end of his time on earth when Jesus was telling his followers what their job was after he had returned to heaven, he told them: &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;quot;Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,&amp;nbsp;and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.&amp;quot; &amp;nbsp;(Matt(Ma(Matt&amp;nbsp; (Matthew 28)
These two statements have often been referred to as the &amp;quot;Great Commandment&amp;quot; and the &amp;quot;Great Commission&amp;quot; and they form the blueprint of what every church is and should be doing.&amp;nbsp;
First... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Devotional Thought ]]></category>
		<author>weldonlemke@juno.com (Weldon Lemke)</author>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Dec 2011 08:14:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[ What is your master? ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.hopechapelcma.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/37097</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Have you ever tried to lose some weight?&amp;nbsp; Unless you are some freak of nature, this is NOT an easy process. &amp;nbsp;I&amp;rsquo;m talking about the kind of weight loss that doesn&amp;rsquo;t come back 6 months later, but the kind that is permanent. &amp;nbsp;I have been on a year long battle to bring my body to a place that is healthy and sustainable for the long term. &amp;nbsp;And let me tell you, it has been a tough battle.&amp;nbsp; I&amp;rsquo;ve come to the conclusion that this is because I am fighting this battle on two different fronts.

	First, I am fighting against years of ingrained habits.&amp;nbsp; Experts say that you need to do something new for a minimum of 4 weeks before it starts to become a new habit. &amp;nbsp;Well, that is easier said than done.&amp;nbsp; I have been more rigorous in my exercise than ever in my life (and am probably more fit than in years) but that alone does not always do the trick. &amp;nbsp;While that change has worked out OK, changing what I eat has been much harder. &amp;nbsp;You s... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Devotional Thought ]]></category>
		<author>weldonlemke@comcast.net (Weldon Lemke)</author>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Aug 2011 14:53:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Eyeglasses & Aging ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.hopechapelcma.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/32289</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ It was in the last two months that I underwent a somewhat traumatic experience.&amp;nbsp; I am an avid reader, and so I spend a lot of time with a book in hand.&amp;nbsp; Throughout the last half of 2010, I began to notice that I was having to hold the books a little bit further from my face than I had before, and that especially when tired, that my ability to focus seemed to come and go.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; When my wife urged me to go and see an eye doctor for some reading glasses, I refused.&amp;nbsp; &amp;quot;It&amp;#39;s not that bad&amp;quot;,&amp;nbsp; &amp;quot;I can still read fine&amp;quot;,&amp;nbsp; &amp;quot;It&amp;#39;s only late at night that it is a problem&amp;quot; were my responses.&amp;nbsp; Yet&amp;nbsp;some small part of me knew that I would soon reach the point where these excuses would not hold any more.

	After 6 months of trying to just deal with it, I finally gave in and made an appointment.&amp;nbsp; Just as I expected, I had now reached the age where my eyes were not what they used to be.&amp;nbsp; I needed reading glasses,... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Devotional Thought ]]></category>
		<author>hopechapel2@juno.com (Weldon Lemke)</author>
		<pubDate>Sun, 30 Jan 2011 16:40:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Living a disciplined life ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.hopechapelcma.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/28132</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ I was reflecting very recently on a passage in 2 Thessalonians where Paul talks about the need to not live an undisciplined life.&amp;nbsp; I began to consider if in fact this is what I&amp;nbsp;do.
Normally, I&amp;nbsp;would think of being&amp;nbsp;disciplined as being able&amp;nbsp;to&amp;nbsp;keep my schedule, to know when to do things, to make decisions on everything systematically, to keep my actions and sins under control, and to basically be someone who could keep to any commitment or thought through sheer willpower.&amp;nbsp; But if you are like me, you know that even the most self controlled, self disciplined person in the world, eventually makes a mistake and&amp;nbsp;is lulled into a time where&amp;nbsp;they just can&apos;t stay disciplined, or burns out.&amp;nbsp; You know what I&apos;m talking about.&amp;nbsp; It&apos;s like when I&amp;nbsp;eat well for 2 months and then have a week where&amp;nbsp;I binge on everything in sight.&amp;nbsp; Or like being careful with what&amp;nbsp;I say, being positive and godly, and then letting fly in a sticky s... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Devotional Thought ]]></category>
		<author>weldonlemke@comcast.net (Weldon Lemke)</author>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:27:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Memorials & Wisdom ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.hopechapelcma.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/26909</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ I had the privilege of recently going to Washington DC and spending a day there with my family, just enjoying the weather, walking around the mall, seeing the sights and enjoying the memorials and museums, and even see the end of the blossoming apple trees.&amp;nbsp; I&amp;nbsp;thoroughly enjoy being able to go and relax there from time to time (although for a place that is mostly &amp;quot;free&amp;quot;, you can sure blow a lot of money if you want to eat, park, etc&amp;nbsp;. . . )
If you&apos;ve ever been to Washington, you know that each of the memorials, whether it is the Lincoln, Jefferson, Roosevelt or any other memorial has quotes engraved in the marble and granite that these men said at one point in their lives.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;They include state of the union addresses, interview quotes and so on.&amp;nbsp; As I read many of these again, I&amp;nbsp;noticed that there is some profound wisdom in many of the things said by some of these men.&amp;nbsp; They had an insight into the human condition that allowed them to el... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Devotional Thought ]]></category>
		<author>weldonlemke@juno.com (Weldon Lemke)</author>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Apr 2010 06:18:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Waiting for Change ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.hopechapelcma.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/26195</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ I was thinking recently how tired I&amp;nbsp;am of the cold, snow . . . and more snow . . .&amp;nbsp;and more snow.&amp;nbsp;
This has been an historic winter in South Jersey and we have been lucky (???) to be a part of it.&amp;nbsp; I think that more than many other recent years, spring is going to be greeted by most people with an enthusiasm that sometimes lacks with the&amp;nbsp;start of a new season.&amp;nbsp; But because the snow and cold and dreary, messy winter seems to have lasted forever, two things happen.&amp;nbsp; We think constantly&amp;nbsp;&amp;quot;When will this ever end?&amp;quot; and secondly a desire to hide inside and just make it through until things improve.
I&amp;nbsp;realize that many of us live our lives the same way.&amp;nbsp; Things so often are more tough than we wish they would be.&amp;nbsp; The troubles of life pile up, we endure the coldness of broken relationships, the frustrations of life, and it feels like we are going through an eternal winter.&amp;nbsp; And it causes us to think, &amp;quot;When will this e... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Devotional Thought ]]></category>
		<author>hopechapelcma@comcast.net (Weldon Lemke)</author>
		<pubDate>Sun, 28 Feb 2010 12:40:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Where was God in Haiti? ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.hopechapelcma.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/25400</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Published&amp;nbsp;with permission from Kurt Jarvis.
When global tragedy happens it is not uncommon for Christians to wonder why God allows such things to occur.&amp;nbsp;The Bible, God&amp;rsquo;s Word, can help give us understanding of these situations.
&amp;nbsp;
In Luke 13:1-5 we read an account where this very issue of tragedy is discussed. This account is of a time when Pilate had murdered many from Galilee and had used their blood in pagan sacrifices. Jesus answered the questions asked by many if this was God&amp;rsquo;s punishment by posing a question Himself. He asked those around him &amp;ldquo;Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered these things? &amp;hellip; Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them, do you think they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem?&amp;rdquo;
&amp;nbsp;
Here are two examples of tragedies, one that was the direct action of a person (Pilate). The other tragedy might ha... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Devotional Thought ]]></category>
		<author>weldonlemke@juno.com (Kurt Jarvis)</author>
		<pubDate>Tue, 19 Jan 2010 08:31:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Holy Spirit Q&A ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.hopechapelcma.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/25119</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Thank you again for all those who submitted questions during the Pastor&apos;s Forum regarding the Holy Spirit.&amp;nbsp; Below are some of the questions and answers from Sunday, Jan 3rd.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;We encourage you to read through some of these Scripture passages yourself as you seek to understand the Holy Spirit better.&amp;nbsp; May it lead to life change for you.
Q. Who is the Holy Spirit?
A. The Holy Spirit is God.&amp;nbsp; He was involved in creation (Genesis 1:2), inspired the writing of the Scriptures (2 Peter 1:21), and has the same attributes as God (omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence).&amp;nbsp; Some think of the Holy Spirit as a spiritual &amp;quot;force&amp;quot;, but He is a person, that shows feelings, has a will and directs the activities of Christians.
Q.&amp;nbsp;What is the Holy Spirit&apos;s role?
A. Jesus said he would send him to us (John 14:16) and he would do various things.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;He would: Be our helper (John 14:26-27), Guide us (John 16:13), Comfort us (John 14:16-17), Intercede for ... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Question and Answer ]]></category>
		<author>weldonlemke@juno.com (Weldon Lemkie)</author>
		<pubDate>Wed, 06 Jan 2010 06:59:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Christmas Surprise ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.hopechapelcma.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/24895</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ The snowstorm that came on Saturday, December 19th, was one of the worst in years in New Jersey, according to news reports.&amp;nbsp; It snarled up the traffic, made driving difficult (even days after), put people&apos;s Christmas schedules out of kilter, and even kept people from their parties and get togethers.
But the biggest lesson I learned with the storm was the need to slow down.&amp;nbsp; The Christmas season is one of our busiest of the year.&amp;nbsp; There are so many activities to be done and prepare for, and appointments to keep, and shopping to be accomplished.&amp;nbsp; In doing so, family time for the two to three weeks before Christmas can become scarce.&amp;nbsp; And so right in the middle of this frenzied time, everyone, including myself, was forced to come to a complete stop.&amp;nbsp; And for almost two full days, all the things I&amp;nbsp;thought I needed to do, and all the tasks that I&amp;nbsp;had scheduled, were postponed or canceled.&amp;nbsp;
Maybe that&apos;s why so many people enjoy these types of st... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Devotional Thought ]]></category>
		<author>weldonlemke@juno.com (Weldon Lemke)</author>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Dec 2009 06:24:00 EST</pubDate>
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