​You may have noticed that there is a lot of activity around COTHA lately.  The construction of the new roof just began and summer is drawing to a close.  While a new roof doesn’t happen every year, a launch of a new program year does!  This year we are starting with a couple of exciting opportunities which will help us all connect to God and one another!  

​As the new school year has begun, we are focusing on helping all parents to know what it means that COTHA is “Orange” and inviting all of our parents to become “Orange Parents.” Orange simply means we assist parents who bring the heart of the family (represented by red) to the bright yellow of God at Church (represented by yellow) and help each family to grow closer to God.  We recognize that spiritual training is the responsibility of the parents but we are committed to walking with each family and assisting them in this journey.  During September, the COTHA Family Ministry is committed to educating and empowering parents in this journey.  Click here for a sneak peek.

Not all of us at COTHA have children living at home but all of us have a need to get connected to God and to one another.  Our COTHA 30 initiative has begun to help everyone know of the need to get connected.  Small groups have always been an essential part of our life at COTHA and COTHA 30 is seeking thirty more people who are not part of a small group to try one out.  These new groups are a great to try small groups out and to see if it is true that life lived better when you are connected!  Become one of COTHA's 30—Be Super! Our other small groups continue to meet but COTHA 30 has a goal to connect at least thirty new people at COTHA.  I challenge you to take a risk and see if your life is enhanced when you connect with others!

So what's the #30SuperStart hashtag?  We'd love to see your pictures of you starting the school year off Orange or COTHA 30 - it's always a good thing to celebrate new beginnings and hashtags make it easy to spot!  

I am excited as our new program year begins and look forward to what God is doing in our midst!  Again, I invite you to become an Orange Parent and one of COTHA’s 30- Be Super!

Blessings,
Darrel

On Sunday, I gave all of us at COTHA an assignment. I challenged all of us to read through one of the four Gospels with a question in mind. What does the Gospel that you are reading reveal to you about God the Father? I asked you to do this as we reflect over the next several weeks why God the Father sent Jesus into the world and why that is so important to us.

The Gospels are central to our understanding of Jesus and through Jesus, who the Father is. As one author has put it:

“The Gospels are books about Jesus Christ. But these four books also tell us much about God the Father. Even though he is often hidden behind the scenes, he is the most important person in the story. Everything depends on him. Even Jesus’ importance is best understood when it is seen in relationship to God — Jesus is the Son of God, the One sent by God, the Messiah anointed by God. Jesus’ importance is received from God; his authority, power and teaching come from God the Father. His mission was to serve God, to bring glory to God, to further God’s purpose and God’s kingdom and God’s plan for the salvation of his people.”

It’s interesting that the Gospels make no attempt to argue about whether or not God exists. They assume it. In fact the basic assumption about God is that he is eternal, almighty, personal, omnipotent, omniscient, holy, righteous and gracious. Knowing that is helpful and allows the reader to concentrate on the words and actions of Jesus. And as I said Sunday, if we see Jesus, we see the Father.

By now, if you have taken the challenge, you will have read through a couple of chapters. What are you finding? I am reading the Gospel of Mark, which is unique. Ray Steadman has written:

“The Gospel of Mark, the second book in the New Testament, is 16 short chapters long, the briefest of all the Gospels, and therefore easy to read in one sitting. Its brevity is probably the reason it is the most often translated book of the New Testament. The Wycliffe translators, I understand, almost invariably begin their translation work with the Gospel of Mark because it is so short and gives the whole story in one brief compass.” Since it is Tuesday, you will be on schedule if you have read a couple of chapters of Mark.

Let me remind you of the person who wrote Mark. He was a young man named John Mark, who was with Paul on his first missionary journey and ended up letting Paul down. He could not take the pressure, and turned back to go home. It is interesting that the Holy Spirit chose this man, an unfaithful servant, to write the Gospel of Mark. Mark was a friend of Peter, and because of this, the Gospel of Mark contains primarily the thoughts, teachings and viewpoints of Peter.

Here’s a unique characteristic of Mark’s Gospel that is expressed at the beginning of his writing. Those who listened to him were filled with astonishment. They said, "He doesn't teach like the scribes and Pharisees, but he speaks with authority, power" Mark 1:27. Evidently this was a marked difference from the way that the Scribes taught. The Scribes and Pharisees had to lean on the opinion of others rather than speaking so forthrightly. The only thing Jesus quotes is Scripture.

I am continuing my study and I challenge you to do the same. Matthew has 28 chapters; Mark 16; Luke 25; and John 21. Remember to keep the interpretive question I gave you this past Sunday in mind as you read. What does this Gospel reveal to me about who the Father is through the life and actions of Jesus?

If I don’t see you before, I’ll see you on Sunday when I will be helping all of us to understand that “what the Father does so does the Son.”
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Darrel Proffitt

Next week is the beginning of Lent. Our worship services will take on a much different “feel” than during other seasons of the year. Not only does the color change from green to purple (and the alleluias disappear), but the tone changes to a quieter, more contemplative worship. We have more periods of silence, reflection and less music than usual. This is to help us understand the importance of living into a “holy” Lent whereby we are all made aware of our need of repentance.

At COTHA we usually use the liturgy (worship service) that is found in the BCP (Book of Common Prayer) called “Rite Two.” While we will continue to use that form at 10:30, at our 8:00 liturgy (worship service) we will use a more traditional form called “Rite One.” The most obvious difference is in the use of a more “traditional” language (the use of thees and thous), but it will also help us to experience more of a “penitential” sense of worship. The use of more traditional vestments (the garments that the presider wears) will connect us with the rich tradition of our past. A chasuble, which is a sleeveless outer vestment that is worn by the officiating priest during communion, will be worn as part of our early service. Reflecting the season, the chasuble is purple in color.

Both services will take on a different tone in order for us to benefit from the forty days of Lent. In order to fully experience the richness of our Anglican tradition and to prepare for the celebration of Easter, you are invited, in the name of the Church, to a holy Lent. This can happen through your own personal practices, such as either giving something up for Lent, or taking on a new practice, and corporately through our worship. Next week, we will begin each of our services in quiet procession as we contemplate on our sinful ways and our need of a savior. Next week’s services will begin with “The Great Litany,” which is an extended prayer focusing on that which we have done and left undone. For the remainder of Lent, we will continue the practice of beginning our services in quiet and prayer. Our Ash Wednesday services, at noon and 7 PM begin our journey. Ash Wednesday is this coming Wednesday, February 10th.
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We have been given a rich tradition that has been passed down to us from previous generations. While our tradition should never be limiting to us in our expression of worship, it does assist us in going deeper into our worship of both a transcendent and immanent God. We pray that your Lent will enable you to celebrate the resurrection on Easter Sunday in a even more profound way.

Visit the kiosk this Sunday to pick up a Daily Devotion or if you rather, click here to receive via email each day.

The children of Israel were about to finish a forty year journey from Egypt to the promise land when God announced to Joshua that the very next day would be the culmination of all their hopes and dreams. He appeared to Joshua and told him to prepare God’s people to claim the promise that had been given to them so long ago. One can almost feel the excitement that must have filled the people as they anticipated the great joy of entering into the promise land. I imagine that there were many people who had sleepless nights. Tomorrow was the day!

As Joshua organized the people, he put something very important at the front of the line. The priests were carrying the Ark of the Covenant, and they would be the ones who would enter the “land of milk and honey” first. These priests were leaders, and they were about to be a witness to the entire nation of Israel. I am not sure they knew what to expect, but as they got closer to the Jordan River, they had to notice that something wasn’t right. If they expected it would be easy to cross the Jordan, perhaps expecting a bridge or some sort of break in the water, they would quickly be disappointed. The river was not only flowing like it normally did, it was actually flooding. It looked impossible to get across. Moses with his staff was no longer living, so they couldn’t expect the same miracle that had happened when they left Egypt and God pushed back the waters after Moses placed his staff in the Red Sea. All they had was faith. They heard from Joshua that today would be the day, so despite all the evidence to the contrary, they believed him. If they hadn’t, they would probably still be doing laps around the wilderness to this day.

This is the year at COTHA that we are responding to God’s call to move forward. For you, that may be a call to stop sitting on the sidelines and get involved. Perhaps you have been coming to COTHA for a while and you’ve not made the commitment to join. Now is the time to stop waiting and do so. Maybe you have never given regularly to the ministry here. Maybe God is calling you to trust him and start giving. There may be many other things that God is calling you to do, but I am convinced that God is calling us all to “Dive In.” We may have many excuses why we can’t. Your own Jordan River may seem insurmountable. There’s no staff of Moses anywhere around you to touch that water and make it go away. I am sure there were many excuses around the children of Israel on that day but they acted on faith. Now is the time for you to do the same.

So what did those who carried the Ark of the Covenant do on that day? They trusted God. Joshua told them to get their feet wet and as soon as they did, the flooding waters rolled back and they crossed over into the promise land. Today is the day for you to get your feet wet. God has promised that He desires to bless us, but we won’t experience those blessings until we move out in faith. There are many reasons that you may feel that the time is not right. But I want you to consider that those reasons will always be there. Taking God at His word is the key to living a life that is full. Scripture reminds us that when we serve God, we praise Him. And God inhabits the praises of His people. There is no better time to “dive-in” and begin to experience, as the children of Israel did on the day they entered the promise land, the exquisite blessings of God.
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We have done a great job at COTHA of “Come and Connect.” Today we have a opportunity to “Grow and Go.” I encourage you to trust God, and we will see God’s glory in even greater ways this year than ever before.
So what’s holding you back? Join me as I “Dive In!”

Christmas Eve 5p and10:30p
 Every year I either hear the question, “Are you ready for Christmas?” This usually means  “Are you through buying all your presents?” or “are you maintaining your sanity through all the stress and pressure, responsibilities and expectations?” Perhaps it means “Are you through cooking all of those special treats?" “Is your tree decorated?" or "Is your house ready to go with all those decorations that are buried in the garage for eleven months of the year?” The list goes on and on, but it usually centers on the busy-ness of the season coupled with the desire to have that “perfect” Christmas.
It is so easy to lose sight of what Christmas truly is. We lost a lot when roasting chestnuts on an open fire pushed to the side the celebration of the Feast of the Incarnation. All of those old movies and cheesy Christmas songs have a place, but they should never replace the truth of what Christmas really means.
That’s why Christmas Eve services at COTHA are so important. We gather to hear familiar Christmas carols, send our children to a wonderful Christmas program, hear the story of that first Christmas from the 2nd Chapter of Luke, and share communion with our family and friends. We need this reminder that no matter how delightful our children find the story of the one who came down the chimney, it pales in comparison to the truth of the story of the one who came down from heaven.

Our Christmas Eve services will be held at 5:00 and 10:30 and will help us all re-center ourselves on that cataclysmic event that took place over 2000 years ago. As we gather, sing, pray, listen and share communion, we will draw near to the One who showed us something on that first Christmas that continues to change women, men and children around the world, and experience in a fresh and uplifting way, that we are loved by God.
I invite you to be here and invite your friends, neighbors and family. Nothing is better than experiencing once again the life changing proclamation that “Unto us this day is born, in the city of David, a savior who is Christ our Lord.”

In His Steps 2015By Darrel Proffitt, Lead Pastor
In the fall of every year, each family at COTHA is asked to prayerfully consider giving to Jesus Christ’s ministry in this place. There are several ways to do this. There are some who will simply give what they did the year before. For others, they may make the decision to increase their giving. Yet others, may decide they cannot afford to give. Let me give you an alternative way to consider your giving. I ask you to pray about it. God’s word tells us that God blesses a cheerful giver, so I do not want you to feel compelled to give. What I do want you to consider and pray about is that our money is often a block to what God wants to do in our lives. God does not need money, yet Jesus speaks more about money than almost anything else. Why? Because our money reveals where we put our trust and where our devotion is found. Trusting God with our finances is often the last thing that we are willing to do. Yet I have never met anyone who ever regretted giving.
Our Presentation Sunday is Sunday, November 15th. I ask you to be prayerful between now and then. I know that God will continue to bless us at COTHA as we continue to put our trust in God. Please pray for your own giving and the giving of us all at COTHA. Let’s be an expectant and generous people!

Contact me if you have any questions at darrel@cotha.org or in the office at 281-392-3310
Submit your pledge card online
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It's Monday morning and a time for reflection back on our worship yesterday.  I am really enjoying the current series called "Stay Calm and Follow Me."  When I say "enjoy" I mean that is challenging me.  It may be hard to believe but I do listen to my own messages!  I am trying to help us all understand that following Jesus isn't what we think it is.  It's not a religious call where we have to change our lives in order to join the movement.  Instead, Jesus calls us to follow him first, and then he's the one who changes our lives.
I encourage you to keep coming as we get deeper into what it means to truly follow Jesus.  Since this Sunday is our "Kick-Off Sunday," it would be a great Sunday to invite a friend, a family member or neighbor.  We will be looking at what the benefits of following Jesus are... and it's not what you think!   See you Sunday, if not before!

It’s been sometime since I posted anything about our search for a Student Pastor and wanted everyone to have an update. It is my desire to fill this position as quickly as we can. It is my prayer that the search will be completed in the next few weeks. I currently have several resumes and am still contacting people regarding this position. I hope to bring the search team back together in the next couple of weeks to help in the process of discernment.
This has been a long process but we are still moving forward with God’s help. The annual Student Mission trip will be taking place the first week of July and we are indebted to Donna Matthews, Polly Stratton and Christian Wilsher in providing leadership for the trip.
I will keep you up to date as we continue our search and prayerfully discern the right person God has called to walk with our students. As always, keep praying!!