Pastor’s Note
There is an old saying that declares, “April Showers, bring May Flowers.” The saying does not originate in our environment. The words are derived from a poem written in England. England’s April is often a soggy month, and May is the month when things have warmed enough to cause flowers to push up through the earth and bloom.
If we wanted to adapt the saying to our environment it might go something like this, “Colorado winter snows determine whether we have flowers at all.” It doesn’t have the ring or rhyme as the original, but it rests on the solid foundation of the truth. We live in an arid environment. If it were not for the Animas, San Juan, and La Plata rivers bring water down from the mountains to the north, all the area around us would be called the bad land. Our flesh would feel the dryness of a baren land.
So, we live close to the water, we create irrigations ditches to carry the life-giving water from the rivers to the field to bring forth the green color of life. The closer to the water that we are the greener the landscape. Deer, elk, bobcats, coyotes know to stay close to the life-giving water. It slacks their thirst and grows and attracts things that they eat.
The woman at the well knew that she needed life-giving water for her body. Jesus opened her mind to the truth that without the living water of God’s presence her spirit was dying. She could drink from the well all day long, and still, she would be dying.
We need to live close to the water. The living water of Jesus Christ. We do that through joining with others as the church for fellowship, learning, and growing our roots down into the rich soil of our scriptures. And into the living water of Jesus’s teachings.
If we drink from Jesus only on occasion our spirits will always be dehydrated. That leaves you vulnerable when we find ourselves in a stretch of life that is dominated by stifling heat and drought. The church is the oasis, the watering hole of life. See you Sunday.
Books of the Bible
There are 30 books of the Bible in this paragraph. Can you find them? This is a most remarkable puzzle. It was found by a gentleman in an airplane seat pocket on a flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu. Keeping him occupied for hours. He enjoyed it so much he passed it on to some friends. One friend from Illinois worked on this while fishing from his john boat. Another friend studied it while playing his banjo. Elaine Taylor, a columnist friend was so intrigued by it she mentioned it in her weekly newspaper column. Another friend judges the job of solving this puzzle so involving, she brews a cup of tea to help her nerves. There will be some names that are really easy to spot. That’s a fact. Some people, however, will soon find themselves in a jam, especially since the book names are not necessarily capitalized. Truthfully, from answers we get, we are forced to admit it usually takes a minister or scholar to see some of them at the worst. Research has shown that something in our genes is responsible for the difficulty we have in seeing the books in this paragraph. During a recent fund raising event, which featured this puzzle, the Alpha Delta Phi lemonade booth set a new sales record. The local paper, The Chronicle, surveyed over 200 patrons who reported that this puzzle was one of the most difficult they had every seen. As Daniel Humana humbly puts it, the books are all right there in plain view hidden from sight. Those able to find all of them will hear lamentations from those who have to be shown. One revelation that may help is that books like Timothy and Samuel may occur without their numbers. Also, keep in mind that punctuation and spacers in the middle are normal. A chipper attitude will help you compete really well against those who claim to know the answers. Remember there is no need for a mass exodus, there really are 30 books of the Bible lurking somewhere in the paragraph waiting to be found.
Shannon’s Note: I’ll provide the answers in the next Newsletter
Christogram: Iota-Eta-Sigma
Remember what a Christogram is? It’s a combination of letters that forms an abbreviation for the name of our savior, Jesus Christ. In a previous article, I discussed the Christogram: ⳩ (looks like an X super-imposed over a P) used for “Christ.”
Check out the cross in the back of the sanctuary. Where the horizontal and vertical bars meet in the middle is a different Christogram.
You can also see it on one of the lectern covers that is occasionally used. It looks like a stylized (artsy) form of the letters IHS.
If someone has moved the cross, check out the two stained glass windows in the back of the sanctuary. Each one also has a version of the IHS.
This one is a little harder to see, but it’s there!
It does NOT represent the “International Headache Society.” Although there is an actual organization named that and they do use those initials for their abbreviation. That is NOT what it means in our Christian sense.
For the longest time, I thought that was an abbreviation for “In His Service.” Whenever I see it, I still immediately go to that definition in my mind. What it means, however, is something different.
These letters are the Latin version of the Greek letters of Iota Eta Sigma: ΙΗΣ.
So, IHS is Latin and ΙΗΣ is Greek. These are the first three letters of Jesus’ name in Greek: ΙΗΣΟΥΣ. It is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name Yeshua and is phonetically pronounced ee-ay-SOOS.
Wow. That’s a bit of a convoluted trail. IHS comes from the first letters of the Greek version of ΙΗΣΟΥΣ which comes from the Hebrew version of Yeshua which, in our world, is Jesus!
And THAT is why you see “IHS” in many places inside the church!
Finances & Attendance – May 2026
| Mar 1 | Mar 8 | Mar 15 | Mar 22 | |
| Giving | $4312.00 | $3666.00 | $418.00 | $9381.32 |
| Worship | ||||
| Sunday School | ||||
| Mar 29 | Apr 5 | Apr 12 | Apr 19 | |
| Giving | $6140.00 | $5595.00 | $1,484.00 | $2,510.00 |
| Worship | 62 | 95 | 45 | 65 |
| Sunday School | 14 | 10 | 11 | 10 |
| Apr 26 | ||||
| Giving | $1,091.02 | |||
| Worship | 40 | |||
| Sunday School | 11 |
6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifullywill also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
—2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (ESV)
Help Wanted
Call the church office at 505-334-6524 to learn more about either of these positions.
WANTED: Director of Children’s Ministry. This person will take the lead in organizing and resourcing our Sunday morning Children’s Church ministry. They will also work toward a one day a week afterschool program for children. The expectation is that this will be a 10-12 hour commitment. This is a paid position and is open immediately to applicants.
WANTED: Musician. We are seeking a musician to provide accompaniment for Sunday services and special occasions. This is a paid position, and music includes a blend of traditional hymns and contemporary selections. Call if you have a heart for music and a desire to serve
Church Events
Sundays
- 8:45 am Sunday School in the Education Building
- 10:00 am Worship in the Sanctuary
- 3:00 pm Gospel Jam – bring your instrument & play along, sing or just listen
- 4:00 pm “The Chosen” – watch and discuss
Mondays
- 8:30 am to 12 pm Office Hours
Tuesdays
- 8:30 am to 12 pm Office Hours
- Sarah’s Circle meets on the 2nd Tuesday of each month in the Pathfinder’s classroom.
Wednesdays
- 8:30 am to 12 pm Office Hours
- 10:00 am Prayer in the Sanctuary for anyone who would like to pray for God’s guidance.
Thursdays
- 8:30 am to 12 pm Office Hours
- 9:00 am Men’s Breakfast
AA/Alanon
| SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY | FRIDAY | SATURDAY |
| Al-Anon 5:30-7:30 am | Al-Anon 7-9 am | |||||
| AA 12-2 pm | AA 12-2 pm | AA 11 am-1 pm | ||||
| AA 5:30-7:30 pm | ||||||
| AA 7-9 pm | AA 7-9 pm | AA 7-9 pm | AA 7-9 pm | AA 7-9 pm | AA 7-9 pm |