PASTOR: Edward E Smith              PHONE     :  253-9826 (Office)

(Home)  374-1830                                                      253-7675 (Fax)

OFFICE HOURS:             10:00 am – 3:00 pm Tuesday – Thursday

                      E-mail     memorialucc@aol.com

             Web page:  http://www.memorial-dayton.com

Dear members & friends,

I wrote the following remarks some years ago for a debate on biblical creation at Central State University. Taking the evolutionary position was an Episcopalian priest.

A STATEMENT ON BIBLICAL CREATION 

Whenever a Christian seeks to state his views on any subject with theological implications he realizes that his basic and primary source of truth is the Bible. This does not mean that he ignores extra-biblical fact, nor does it mean he is closed to the scientific inquiry; but it does mean that he has placed his faith in the unalterable, infallible Revelation of God – the Bible. Admittedly, the Bible is not basically a book of science, philosophy, sociology, or psychology. For example, the Bible does not even attempt to establish the existence of God by the use of logic. The Bible simply begins with the assumption that man accepts the fact of God – “in the beginning God.” The rest of the Bible from that point is simply a gradual unfolding of the nature and character of God and of his plan for this earth.

Part of this plan includes the work of God in creation. The Bible teaches that both organic and inorganic matter is the product of the direct creative activity of God. The Christian view not only rejects the organic evolutionary theory, but also rejects theistic evolution which inconsistently brings God into the picture to bolster up the weak points of organic evolution, and rejects God’s own record of origins in the Bible. The Christian takes his view from a literal accepting of the creation account in the Book of Genesis. The Scriptures make the following statements concerning creation.

   1. God created the heaven and the earth

       (Genesis 1.1) (No statement is made as to how           

        or when this was done).

   2.  Gods creative acts that made the present earth          

        inhabitable for life, inhabited by life took six

        days. These days are not periods of time, but 

        literal 24 hour days as is shown by the fact

        the Bible says: “the evening and the morning

       were the first day.” (Genesis 1:5b)

   3.  God created man on the sixth day separate

        and distinct from all other creation.  (Genesis 

        1:26-31).

   4.   God created man in His own image with the capacity for intelligence, rationality, self-consciousness, and God consciousness. This man was created with the capacity to love, feel, desire and hate.

   5.   God created man to have fellowship with Himself, and therefore, man is the special object of His love and grace.

   6.   The entire human race has descended from Adam and Eve. This includes all ethnic groups.

   7.   Adam was representative of the whole human race when he willfully departed from God and sinned. Thus it became necessary that Jesus Christ become the representative of the entire human race in redeeming man back to God.

The Bible teaches that plants and animals were created to reproduce their own kind. The phrase “After his kind,” is used a number of times in the Genesis record. In other words God created certain fundamental types which the modern biologist would probably call families or orders. We do not argue with the fact that new species can come into existence by mutation, and this is no way violates the biblical teaching of creation. Within certain undefined limitations, variations certainly do occur. For example, there is enough potential in the original genes and chromosomes of Adam and Eve to produce all sorts of varieties. Any racial differences can be explained on the basis of this variation within the human family. Let me illustrate this in another way. As a musician may combine the notes of his instrument in many different ways into the making of many different harmonies so by making different combinations of the factors existing in natural species, you may produce many varieties in the species. Yet, just as the number of possible harmonies which the musician can make on his instrument is limited by the number of possible notes on the instrument, so the number of varieties which nature can produce in species is limited by the number of genes in them which can be combined. By new combinations of old materials, new forms may arise, previously nonexistent.

 Although there are changes through mutation, it has never been shown that the species within the “kind” or “baramin” can be changed into a different “kind”.

  Every person who inquires into this subject is confronted with accepting one of two interpretations of the universe. The universe is either the result of blind chance (the mathematical possibilities of which are so infitesiman that it is hard to conceive of rational men accepting such an unproven theory.) or the universe is the result of a well ordered design and plan.

Evolution proposes chance as the explanation of all life. The Bible insists that all origins go back to God. The Christian believes that “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.”

Which I ask you is more rational? Which is the more logical? Consider for a moment that everything we do in life is according to a plan – whether it is a woman cutting out material for a dress, or a boy making a model car, or a man consulting airline timetable. Consider the human hand. No instrument ever conceived can do the variety of things that can the hand. Our bodies are a seat of a million marvels. Trillions and trillions of little cells working together in the human body.

Blind but rational! That is the position of the evolutionist. Somehow all the evolutionary changes, all the variations, all the mutations, all the adaptations where the result of some blind force, some mysterious power. It was accidental and yet rational it is said. It was reasonable, it was intelligent but there were no intelligence behind it. Do you really think that this is an adequate argument or explanation to this marvelous thing we call life? The Christian says a dogmatic “NO”. He says that there is not only an intelligent plan to all of life and the universe, but there is an Omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God who is the creator of this world and all that is in it.

Edward E Smith

THANK YOU!

It’s hard to put into words the effect all of you have had in our lives. We knew that we had found our home church the first Sunday we attended. The Christian love and friendship shown to us each and every week is one of the greatest gifts and blessings that has affected our lives. Thanks so much for all the love shown on Christmas Eve when we became members of Memorial. Thanks so much for the love and understanding shown to our Granddaughter, Gwyneth Pottage. The KIND program and the volunteers of the Sunday Junior Church has made such a positive impact on Gwyneth’s life. Thru all of you she also knows the joy of people who care and love her. Again, thanks so much, all of you, for opening your hearts and door and giving us a new direction in our lives. God Bless

In Christian love,

Bill and Joanie Spinks and Gwyneth Pottenger.

FEBRUARY WORSHIP SCHEDULE

Pastor Smith will continue his messages on the Holy Spirit the first two Sundays of the month. On February 17, Pastor Rob Wackerman will share his ministry with us, and Pastor Ed Fox will bring the message on February 24. We invite you to join us for all of these services.

NEW SCHEDULE UPDATE

We are entering the second month of our full Sunday school program which begins at 9:30, and the worship service at 10:30. We still have things to smooth out with our classes. Thank you for your cooperation

NINE PLUS DECADES

Four wonderful ladies from our church,  Goldie Smith, Myra Sandy, Eloise Fleming, (Aunt Easy), Laura Wollenhaupt were honored on January 5 with a reception after the morning service. Each of the following are, with God’s strength and blessing, heading toward the century mark. Our prayer is for continued good health.

CAPTAIN JERI RESIGNS

Dear Pastor Ed Smith,

Thank You for the opportunity to minister in the KIND program. I will always remember my time working with the children with joy and deep satisfaction. I must now focus my time on the care of my aging mother. I am therefore resigning my staff position with the KIND program and Memorial UCC, effective immediately.

May God continue to bless the Memorial Church family.

Fondly,

Chaplain Jeri T. Birnbaum

We are sorry that Captain Jeri is leaving us. She came to us at a critical time in our program’s history, and helped make a smooth transition. We now have a good foundation upon which to build. May God’s richest blessing attend her future endeavors.

ORGANIST RESIGNS

It is with regret that we announce that Pete Pecsok has indicated that Sunday, February 3, will be his last Sunday as organist at Memorial. It is with   sadness that we say goodbye to Pete. He has served us well, and we know that his will be greatly missed. We wish him the best in whatever directions life takes him.

Pete would like to thank everyone for the cards that were sent to him celebrating his birthday.

NEW DIRECTORIES

New directories have been printed. Please call the office if you are unable to attend church.

 THURSDAY NIGHT BIBLE CLASS

Beginning the first week in March we will resume our Bible studies on Thursday evening at 6:00, in the fellowship room of the church. The only exception will be Maundy Thursday when we observe silent communion at 7:00.

GET READY

Elsie England wants all of her helpers to get geared up to make Easter Eggs, starting about the middle of February. Easter comes early this year (March 23), so it is important to start the sales of the eggs by the end of February.

REVIEW OF JANUARY KIND PROGRAM

We are very pleased overall of the direction of the programming that has been implemented as of January 6, 2008.

The schedules for both the youth (teens) and the children (k-5^th) have worked well and have been accepted by all youth/children involved within the KIND/Memorial Sunday school program in a very positive manner.

We have added a total of five females to our staff both at KIND and the Sunday school / Jr. church program. The volunteers have worked out well and have assimilated themselves in such a manner that we look to increase the number of children’s classes in the future. Curriculum for these classes are working well with very little ‘tweaking’ being needed at this time. We are currently running five Sunday school classes;k-2, 3-5, two teen studies and one disciple class for the more mature youth.

As volunteers are incorporated into the youth program, we will begin to increase recruitment of more volunteers as needed. We chose to follow this path of slow integration of volunteers so that we can monitor and respond to any problems that may arise with their assimilation. We did not want to over whelm any volunteer and thus negatively effect future recruitment.

Overall behavior has been on a steady climb upward, which we feel is in direct response to the new schedule and class offerings as well as the new atmosphere of patience and understanding that has been incorporated throughout the ministry. Behavioral situations are being discussed and dealt with by staff on a continual basis. A standardized expectation of behavior is being discussed and a to incorporate such is being worked on at this time.

           CHURCH MINISTRY:

KIND Staff

Bread Service

TV Ministry

 Prayer is so simple, It is like quietly opening a door and slipping into the very presence of God.  There , in the stillness, to listen for His voice, perhaps in petition or only to listen, it matters not. Just to be there, in His presence,….is prayer

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:24

 OLD AGE, I DECIDED, IS A GIFT

 I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be. Oh, not my body! I sometimes despair over my body, the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging butt. And often I am taken aback by that old person that lives in my mirror (who looks like my mother!), but I don’t agonize over those things for long.

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, and my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I’ve aged, I’ve become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I’ve become my own friend.

I don’t chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn’t need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging. Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon?

I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 50 & 60’s, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love…I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set. They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody’s beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don’t question myself anymore. I’ve even earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day. (If I feel like it!)

May you always have a rainbow of smiles on your face and in your heart forever and ever!