The Laurelbrook Seventh-day Adventist Church service on February 23, 2019 began with Rodney Herra welcoming everyone and making a few announcements. There will be a prayer meeting in the café-admin building at 2:00 p.m. regarding the Cuban trip and the required visas. Pathfinders will be meeting at 3:00 in the nursing home. The cafeteria is open for dinner, and everyone is welcome.
Jeremy Westcott played an introit. Joubert Pierre had the invocation, and the congregation sang “Wondrous Love”. Rodney Herra had the main prayer; the congregation responded with “Hear Our Prayer, O Lord”.
Mark (junior) then called for the offering. Rich Sutton and Suriel (senior) then collected the morning offerings; the loose offering went to the local church budget. The congregation sang the doxology, and Mark prayed for the offering.
Arielle Pierre told the children a story about a slave who crawled in a box and stayed there for an entire day while he was being shipped from Virginia to Pennsylvania and freedom. His neighbor helped by giving the slave some food.
Yzzynne (freshman) and Kate Swanepoel sang “Come, Thou Font of Every Blessing” as a vocal duet, accompanied by Jeremy Westcott on the piano. Cesia (junior) then read John 15:13 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Joubert Pierre discussed the topic “Reflection of Love and Sacrifice”. The congregation sang “Tis Love that Makes Us Happy”. Joubert Pierre had the closing prayer.
Personnel Other Than Students:
Arielle Pierre – wife of Joubert Pierre
Clifton Brandt – works with Laurelbrook’s sewer, water, and boiler systems
Jeremy Westcott – teaches some of the academy English classes and works with the Laurelbrook Bells Choir
Joubert Pierre – teaches the academy math classes
Kate Swanepoel – wife of Ruan Swanepoel, the farm manager
Rich Sutton – Laurelbrook president
Following are some notes on the sermon by Joubert Pierre:
- Kindness can open doors and remove prejudice.
- There are many people in black history who gave of themselves to elevate the black race. But Jesus did more.
- John 15:13 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
- Put God first. Mark 12:30-31 “30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment. 31 And the second [is] like, [namely] this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”
- Slavery advocates said that God elevate the white race over the black race. But God doesn’t.
- W.D. Frazee let students of any race attend Wildwood, and the KKK tried to invade the school. He stood in the way, risking his life.
- Putting God first means that we treat all alike.
- Surrendering self. John 15:13 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
- Many people sacrificed their lives to help others as black history unfolded.
- God asks us to give up negativity, prejudices, ignorance, pride, and fears.
- The ways that many blacks were treated caused feelings of negativity. God can help them overcome.
- Ellen White says that Christians must demonstrate practical self-sacrificing love in their lives or they are not Christians.
- 1 John 2:6 “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.”
- Leviticus 19:34 “[But] the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I [am] the LORD your God.”
- In order to love, we must intentional. We must actively seek out ways to show love to others, acknowledge each other’s weaknesses, address differences and break barriers, and build bridges with others.
- Sometimes we focus on how others are different from each other, but we should build bridges between each other.
- Jesus has shown that our “neighbor” is a person who needs our help.
- Thus we must put God first, surrender self, and build bridges to others.