Hey h2o!
The coffeehouse is quickly approaching and is already less than two weeks away. Due to the involvement of many YF'ers in day camp and to allow the flexibility of coffeehouse planning and attending the VBS graduation, we have opened this week's h2o for extra coffeehouse planning - YF is also freeing up this week's program in order to give group leaders the flexibility to meet with their groups. Group leaders, please contact your members about plans for this weekend (meetings, shopping, practices etc.). If you desire to meet at church, please e-mail us or let Josh/Tim/Steph know so we can make sure that the doors are open for you guys. Group members, if you have not heard from your leaders by Thursday, please feel free to bug them ;). Thanks so so much for everyone's involvement in this! We are very much looking forward to seeing the fruits of all your hard work. ^-^

Aaaand for those of you who are so on top of things that you don't need an extra night to prep (or for those that aren't involved in coffeehouse prep), bring board/card games, yourself, a friend, and head to church for informal hang-out time! It'll be another great chance to connect with each other and YF over conversation, a rousing round of games (or two!), and maybe even bubbletea for those who are interested!

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Here's something Uncle Joseph Lam forwarded to h2o's inbox this week to share with you all:

As I meditate on the contents of Minister J. Wright's opening prayer, I find indeed the Holy Spirit is interceding for the people of God through him. "The Lord will oppose the proud, but have mercy on the humble."

- Joseph

This Pastor has guts!
This is a prayer given in Kansas at the opening session of their Senate. It seems prayer still upsets some people. When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, But this is what they heard:

"Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare We have killed our unborn and calledit choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Amen!"

The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked out during the prayer in protest. In 6 short weeks, Central Christian Church, where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged more than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls responding negatively. The church is now receiving international requests for copies of this prayer from India, Africa and Korea. Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, "The Rest of the Story," and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired. With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and whole heartedly become our desire so that we again can be called "one nation Under God."

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Have a great week, everyone! Looking forward to seeing you this weekend. :)