weeklyred

w ou

texturized worship

every saturday at 1:30 p.m.

club fathom

412 market street

chattanooga, tn

08.28.05

come unity

The Emperor Penguin
--a remarkable bird--
--a powerful spiritual lesson--

Emperor Penquins make their home
in the waters of the Antartica.

They do not fly, but are great swimmers.
The cold antartic waters provide
the fish for their meals.

They can dive 535 meters deep!

How deep is that?

If the World Trade Centers were
still standing,
add the Washington Monument
to the top of them
and that would be about
how deep they could dive!
Amazing!

In March the mature males and females
take a "pilgrimage" 70 miles inland to
the mating "ground" of solid ice.
By May, they have mated and the female
produces one egg.

Remember, they haven't eaten for
3 months!

The female carefully transfers the egg
to the male and makes the long 70 mile trek
back to the water to feed--she'll need
to nurse the chick when it's hatched.

It's dead of winter now, as the seasons are
reversed in Antartica. The weather is
60 degress below Zero and
winds are blowing at
200 miles per hour during
the winter storms.

They survive by team work.
A lone penguin will not survive.

The dad holds the egg on top of his feet
and tucked in a fold of his skin.

All the dads huddle together to keep warm.
They are in constant motion so the guys
on the outside
get warmth time in the inside.

No one is left out in the cold
and certain death.

The babies are hatched in July,
mom is back from the sea
and has food to share
with the babies.

After a four month fast
-- that means four months without food--
dad goes to the sea to eat.
Then for the next few months,
mom and dad take turns
walking for days out to the sea to get
food for the chicks.

now, that's
community!

Here's Paul's advice on
our community relationships:

Welcome with open arms fellow believers
who don't see things the way you do.
And don't jump all over them every time
they do or say something you don't agree with--
even when it seems that they are strong on opinions
but weak in the faith department.
Remember, they have their own history to deal with.
Treat them gently.

. . .

Jesus lived and died and then lived again:
so that he could be our Master across
the entire range of life and death,
and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other.

. . .

So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother?
And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister?
I'd say it leaves you looking pretty silly--or worse.
Eventually, we're all going to end up kneeling side by side
in the place of judgment, facing God.
Your critical and condescending ways
aren't going to improve your position there one bit.
Read it for yourself in Scripture:

   "As I live and breathe," God says,
    "every knee will bow before me;
    Every tongue will tell the honest truth
    that I and only I am God."

. . .

So let's agree to use all our energy
in getting along with each other.
Help others with encouraging words;
don't drag them down by finding fault.

. . .

Romans 14
Message Bible

Red partnered with
Inner-City Ministries
and supported ICM's
Hood Fest on Roanoke Avenue.