Announcements
SYMPATHY: to Joyce Bornman at the passing of her brother, Larry Bornman, on June 25 in Venus, Texas. A memorial service will be held at a later date.
THANK YOU: Dear church family, There are not sufficient words to express our heart felt thanks for all of your acts of love and kindness during Gary’s home-going. Thank you for all the compassionate cards and sweet comments, and we appreciate all the offers of help. It was an amazing outpouring of compassion. Our family will never forget your generosity, and we pray that God will bless you for being a blessing to us. The Beard family
USHERS & GREETERS: needed for all church services. If you are interested in this ministry and would be willing to help, please see or call/text David Brown at (410) 458-8360. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. – Psalm 84:10b
NURSERY WORKERS: needed for the Sunday School hour. If you can help with this need, please sign up at the Welcome Desk or contact Anne-Marie at 443-375-2078.
From My Heart
We welcome Dr. Glenn Mathews today to preach in all services. There are not many preachers that I would trust in my pulpit in my absence, but with my dear friend and mentor I have no qualms at all inviting Dr. Mathews. I know that you will make him feel welcome and will enjoy his messages.
Today is our nation’s 245th birthday! There is a little story connected to how our founding fathers wrote our great Constitution and agreed together on its wording. Can you imagine today’s Congress sitting down to write such a Constitution as this? They would never be able to agree on the wording!
The men who sat around the tables to draw up our founding documents were (for the most part) men of faith in God and faith in the Word of God. When the representatives of the 13 colonies met to frame the Constitution, they spent three weeks arguing back and forth and could not come to agreement! When it looked like they would never reach an accord, Benjamin Franklin stood to speak.
Franklin said, “Mr. President, I perceive we are not in a position to pursue this business any further. Our blood is too hot. I, therefore, move that we separate for three days, during which time, with a conciliatory spirit, we talk with both parties. If we ever make a Constitution, it must be by the work of a compromise.”
He then added these words, “And while I am on my feet, I am astonished that it has not been done before, for when we signed the Declaration of Independence, we had a chaplain to read the Bible and to pray daily; and I now move that when we meet again, we have a chaplain to meet with us and invoke the blessing of Heaven. For sir, it has been wisely written, ‘Except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it,’ (Psalm 127:1) and if it be true that a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, surely a nation cannot rise without His aid.”
George Washington’s countenance instantly changed and with a huge smile he stood to second Mr. Franklin’s motion. With their minds and hearts drawn together by prayer, they came back together and agreed on the Constitution of the United States of America. William Gladstone, who served as a British statesman for over 60 years, and who for 12 years served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, called our Constitution, “The greatest document ever struck by the brain of man.”
Let’s rejoice today in our freedoms, while we still have them! Even with our problems, America is still the greatest nation on the face of the earth. As we celebrate another birthday as a nation, we should pray once again for God to bless our great nation. Have a wonderful day!