Church notes - August 2026

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Church notes - 30th August 2026

 30th

Deuteronomy 6:5 - 9

The Shape of Mission

Exodus 15:13

God is the one who leads.

Matthew 28:18, 20

Where is your hill?

2 Corinthians 9:7, 8

Deuteronomy 6:4 - 6

Being obedient and disciplined.

We do mission because we love the God who first loved and redeemed us.

Genesis 12:4

Abram's call.

Trust and obedience.

God will be with you. He has everything you need.

Jonah

He was obedient despite not wanting to do it and trying to run away from the responsibility.

John 6:38

Deuteronomy 6:4 - 6

Moses was trying to encourage the Israelites as they prepared to enter the Promised Land.

Love - Hebrew "Avavah"

A-ha-vah

Church notes - 23rd August 2026

 23rd

Isaiah 6:1 - 8

vs 1

Isaiah saw the Magnificence of God.

Isaiah's role - to be God's spokesperson; to call the people to repentance.

vs 5

Isaiah realised his sin was great

vs 7

Sins forgiven

Pointing forwards to Jesus

vs 8

God was giving Isaiah the opportunity to respond and he took it.

Spider Quinn 22 Attractions of Lawndale - Part 13

 

“Thanks for letting me know about Kevin,” Peterson said when SpiderGIrl was finished. “You’re right to be concerned. Obsessions like that can lead to trouble.”

 

“But what about the other issue?” SpiderGirl asked.

 

“We will have to pursue our enquiries, but you know that Osborn will deny involvement,”

 

“Of course,” SpiderGirl responded. “I’ll be on my way. Get some sleep before school.”

 

 

Lawndale Sun-Herald

Friday 16^th March, 2001

Favorite Animal Fad? Melinda Parris

 

Daria picked up the paper from next to the mailbox. “Why is that the headline?” she wondered. ‘Even Ted wouldn’t let any of the students write such a frivolous headline.’ She was sure of that. She turned back to the house, where her mother had already left for work. ‘I would have liked to have her advice.’

 

 

Quinn was having breakfast when Daria entered the kitchen and placed the paper on the table. She read the headline. “Uh, she’s probably going on about some conspiracy theory.”

 

“Most likely,” Daria commented. “But at least it’s not the failure assignment, or some propaganda from Oscorp disguised as a press release.”

 

“Good point. But there has to be other articles.”

 

“Of course there are. Mostly about what the council is doing and reports of the vigilantes intervening in crime.”

 

“How much of the latter would there be?” Quinn asked.

 

“Not all that much. Today, it’s the usual sightings of SpiderGirl around the Historia and otherwise downtown. There are also a few about Dafoanairi, also on Main Street.”

 

“It’s like they want to be seen,” Quinn commented. She knew that she did as SpiderGirl. ‘But why would Daria as Dafoanairi?’

 

“I think so too. The others are more content to be in the background.”

 

 

At the Osborn mansion, an Oscorp middle manager filled Norman in on what had happened to his snow scheme.

 

“SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon,” he repeated.

 

“You want me to do something, sir?”

 

“No. Operation Rooftop is still viable. The agents just need to adapt to how they have adapted.”

 

“Aye, sir,” the middle manger said.

 

 

As the students arrived at Lawndale High for the day, there was no mention of the fad, other than comments about the newspaper article.

 

Kevin wasn’t one of those who were talking about the newspaper article. His mind was still on SpiderGirl. He was daydreaming as he opened his locker.

 

“Kevin!” Mack called. “Are you OK?”

 

“Huh?” Kevin asked.

 

“I called your name about five times.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“You’re thinking about SpiderGirl again, aren’t you?” Mack asked with a resigned tone.

 

“Of course, Mack Daddy.”

 

“Don’t call me that!” Mack paused. “I know Brittany permanently dumped you…”

 

“It’s not a rebound.”

 

“It totally is. Give it time.”

 

“No,” Kevin said as he took out what he wanted, and then slammed the locker closed.

 

“You can’t expect her to reveal her secret identity to you.”

 

“Of course not. Not straight away. But, when she’s ready.”

 

 

Mack thought about it as Kevin walked away. ‘Why do I think that this is just the start of the trouble?’ He knew that he would have to keep an eye on the situation. He looked around at the other students. ‘I’m sure SpiderGirl knows by now.’

 

The bell then rang and he headed to class.

 

 

Brittany and Andrea caught up in a girl’s bathroom between classes. “There is no one else here,” Andrea said.

 

“What about the vents?”

 

“I doubt anyone would be up on the roof listening.”

 

“Daria and Jane are sometimes up there,” Brittany responded as she twirled a pigtail.

 

“Between classes?” Andrea asked.

 

“Probably not,” Brittany conceded. “So, what did you find?”

 

“That the Country Club didn’t authorize any snow making last night.”

 

“We were right!”

 

“But I couldn’t find any reference to it in the Oscorp databases I could access,” Andrea added.

 

“So, Osborn might have the information elsewhere.”

 

 

O’Neill was still uncertain about the outcome of the failure assignment. Brittany’s encouragement the previous day had helped but he was sure it was time to let it go. “I realize that the assignment hasn’t been entirely positive,” he said. “So, I am concluding it today, so we can focus on actual classwork.”

 

“Are you sure?” Brittany asked.

 

“Of course. You may have found it positive but I’m not sure of most of the classes.”

 

 

“That’s reasonable,” Daria commented.

 

“He’ll come up with something else, I’m sure,” Jane responded.

 

“But it’s had its impact,” Daria added.

 

“Not as much as everything else.”

 

“Really?”

 

Jane then shrugged. “I might have gone conventional at some point.”

 

“As unlikely as that sounds.”

 

 

“Kevin, is there something you want to say?” O’Neill asked before the quarterback could leave the classroom.

 

“No,” Kevin responded as he made himself scarce.

 

“Oh dear!”

 

 

At lunch, Quinn and Brittany met on the roof and the latter relayed what Andrea had told her.

 

“So, that just confirms our suspicions that Oscorp was up to something,” Quinn said when Brittany had finished.

 

“It’s like he might have been acting out at the Country Club for not letting him in,” Brittany mused as she twirled a pigtail.

 

“Like a massive tantrum,” Quinn commented.

 

“But it could also be a distraction?”

 

“Undoubtedly. But from what? Or maybe he wants us paranoid.”

 

 

Down in the cafeteria, Daria was thinking about the events of the week. Kevin, the passing fad and failure assignment and the fact that most of the students had taken the events in stride.

 

“O’Neill told us his decision,” Sandi said as she sat down.

 

“It shouldn’t have happened in the first place,” Daria said.

 

“But I have made my own,” Sandi said.

 

“An extracurricular activity?” Daria asked.

 

“What extracurricular activity?” Jane asked as she also sat down.

 

 

Sandi didn’t get a chance to answer, as Tania then joined them. “A long week,”  she said.

 

“Every week’s been long,” Daria responded.

 

“But multiple strange things at once?” Tania asked.

 

“I suppose,” Sandi said.

 

“William and then the Robodactyl,” Daria mused.

 

“Right,” Sandi said.

 

“So, how do we stay ahead of all this?” Jane asked.

 

“No idea; not without knowing more,” Daria responded.

 

 

Tania thought about that as the group became silent. She knew that Daria was going to keep digging. She glanced at Sandi. After Sam had followed them to her house, she thought that she was either the Enigma or Dafoanairi.

“Anyway, it is good that Tempest was mostly uninterrupted after what happened with Beck.’”

 

“There’s still tonight or tomorrow night,” Daria responded. “But you’re right.”

 

“Tonight will be interesting,” Tania said.

 

“It’s just the penultimate performance,” Daria said.

 

“That means it will feel different,” Tania argued.

 

“You may be right,” Daria said.

 

 

As school let out, Jane changed to the Shadow on the roof before looking out over Lawndale. The town had weathered the storm of the week’s weirdness. ‘But where did that favorite animals fad come from?’ She still wasn’t sure.

Sirens sounded from the direction of Dega Street. “Time for vanishing,” she said as she drew out one of her dry ice pellets.

 

 

At the same time, Daria met Sandi in a corridor near both of their lockers. “Tania interrupted us earlier.”

 

“I decided to try the Literature Club. I ready use a lot of long words,” Sandi said.

 

“But didn’t you dramatically fail the Spelling Bee?”

 

“Ugh! I did it for the wrong reason. I was trying to show up Qu-inn and humiliated myself. I won’t be doing that again.”

 

“I thought that was what happened,” Daria responded, but although she responded sarcastically, there was warmth there that wouldn’t have been there if the two hadn’t been spending so much time with each other.

 

 

That evening, the Historia was packed as the cast prepared for the penultimate show of Tempest.

 

“I’ll say one thing,” Quinn said as she turned to Dani Moreno, who was sitting in the tech booth. “Tempest has been very successful.”

 

“I agree,” Dani said as she looked over the electronic cues out of habit.

 

“It has been reassuring at this time of crisis,” Quinn said.

 

Dani looked at Quinn. “I wouldn’t call it a crisis, although Groundhog Day certainly was.”

 

“I suppose I was being a little hyperbolic.”

 

 

Dani thought about what Quinn had said. Reports of crime within Lawndale were still increasing despite the efforts of the vigilantes. ‘I suppose she thinks that is indeed a crisis,’ she thought as she remembered what she had heard about Quinn and Daria’s father’s death.

 

 

Sandi was ready for another search. But she paused. “What is Kevin up to?” she mused. She grabbed the energy drink but paused. Searching for Kevin seemed frivolous. All she would find would be where he was, and what he would be doing at that moment. She shook her head. “No,” she said as she grabbed the yearbook.

 

‘Four more until Quinn,’ Sandi thought. She looked at the girl after Rachel Lincoln. “Findu mann sem heiter: Marilla Lingari!”

 

She found Marilla at the Historia, getting ready to see Tempest. ‘Not surprising,’ Sandi thought.

 

 

At the Thompson’s, Kevin was in his room, going through his closet. He was considering something reckless, in his quest to meet SpiderGirl.

He soon found a cloak. “Perfect,” he said. “But I also need a mask…”

 

He had figured that one way he could meet SpiderGirl and ask her out, was if he was out being a hero too. He had justified it as being like Ratboy, and Lawndale needing yet another hero, not realizing that he was entirely unsuited.

 

 

At the Historia, the curtain went down. Daria breathed a sigh of relief. The performance had gone off without a hitch. ‘One more performance, then Tempest will take a break.’

 

Quinn came out of the tech room and climbed down to backstage. “It was the best yet.”

 

“People usually improve over time,” Daria responded. “But you’re right. It also helps that the show was sold out.”

 

“I does, doesn’t it? But wonder if the other plays will be as popular?”

 

“We’ll just have to wait and see.”

Daria Challange: Theatrical Sabotage at Raft

 The latest student production at Raft College is being sabotaged and Daria is investigating it.

She could be involved in the production in some capacity. Or she might not be.

She could be joined by others in the investigation.

Any one or a combination of the below.

- It being after Jane has started at BFAC, she brings in her best friend from Lawndale to help investigate (for her artistic point of view, or maybe just as a friend, or sounding board)

- Alongside her roommate (what ever interpretation of how different her roommate might be).

- Alongside any of the actors, understudies, stagehands or technical production assistants.

- Alongside any other curious students with whatever quirks they might have.

Church notes - 16th August 2026

 16th

Mission

Luke 7:36 - 50

The Pharisee, Simon, didn't offer the usual hospitality to Jesus.

The woman cleaning Jesus' feet.

- A risky act of adoration and worship.

Jesus sends off the woman in peace.

What does this say about mission?

We shouldn't have a lukewarm response to Jesus

Who are you like in this story?

- The woman?

- Or Simon?

Jesus sees people that no one else sees.

Spider Quinn 22 Attractions of Lawndale - Part 12

 

Brittany considered patrolling as she left the Historia, but she knew Ashley-Amber would get more suspicious if she was late for another night in a row. ‘I can catch up with Quinn in the early hours,’ she thought.

 

 

SpiderGirl headed out not long after midnight when she found that she couldn’t get to sleep. The thoughts about Kevin and Oscorp together were keeping her awake. After a short time listening to the town on the roof, she headed towards the Jefferson Bridge.

 

 

Brittany saw Quinn arrive as SpiderGirl and then unmask.

 

“You think something is off too?” Quinn asked.

 

“Yes. Something to do with Osborn may have been doing last night,” Brittany responded.

 

“I agree. But where? We can’t just assume it’s the Country Club.”

 

Brittany nodded. “We could patrol, but miss what he might be up to.”

 

“And the Country Club can’t be seen from the Historia or the Giant Strawberry.”

 

“Nor from school.”

 

“But we can check on it,” Quinn decided.

 

Brittany nodded in agreement before pulling her mask on.

 

 

They headed southeast from the Bridge, through the more well to do subdivisions of Lawndale, and skirting Crewe Necke to the southwest.

 

They were getting closed when SpiderGirl paused. “It’s not the glider, it’s something else. Multiple other machines,” she said.

 

“That’s not good,” Ninja Talon responded. “What do they sound like?”

 

“Not sure. We have to get closer.”

 

 

They swung over the last line of trees to find a line of snow machines working at full pelt in an attempt to cover the fairways with snow.

 

They both paused and swung back amongst foliage. “This is unexpected,” SpiderGirl commented.

 

“Maybe Osborn is using this to disrupt the Country Club.”

 

“That makes sense, but we can’t just leap in and stop it.”

 

Ninja Talon nodded. “We need to talk to some of the operators first.”

 

“I agree.”

 

 

However, as they came closer, they saw that one of the operators was Sam Elders. “I suppose that’s one reason he was bailed,” SpiderGirl mused.

 

“We’ll have to ask him,” Ninja Talon said.

 

“We’ll do that right now.”

 

 

Sam Elders was surprised when he heard the thwip of SpiderGirl’s webbing over the din of the snow machine. He turned in the direction. “SpiderGirl!”

 

“What is going on here?” SpiderGirl asked.

 

“Nothing illegal,” he answered.

 

“It is if the Country Club doesn’t agree,” Ninja Talon said after creeping up.

 

“All I know is, this is a job,” Sam responded.

 

“Then you don’t know who it is for?” SpiderGirl asked.

 

“No.”

 

“You really should be asking questions,” SpiderGirl said.

 

“It’s likely Norman Osborn at the top,” Ninja Talon added.

 

“That doesn’t change anything!” Sam objected.

 

“What if we told you that he may be responsible for Groundhog Day,” SpiderGirl said.

 

“I would be skeptical,” Sam said. “Let me get on with this.”

 

“No.” SpiderGirl said. “We need to get to the bottom of this.”

 

“There isn’t much time,” Ninja Talon said. “Our contact may be asleep.”

 

“We may need to wake them,” SpiderGirl said.

 

“A contact?” Sam asked.

 

“No comment!” Ninja Talon responded.

 

“So…” SpiderGirl prompted.

 

“We’ll wake them,” Ninja Talon responded.

 

 

Andrea hadn’t been sleeping anyway, with the thoughts of what was going on in Lawndale, along with O’Neill’s assignment and the passing fad being heavily on her mind. She was about to dial up, when the phone rang. She picked it up without hesitation. “Hello? Talon?” she asked, she asked as she was sure that Brittany was being her heroine alter ego.

 

“Yes, Andrea. Spidey and I need you to check something.”

 

“Why am I not surprised?” she asked rhetorically. “Fill me in.”

 

 

SpiderGirl waited as Ninja Talon filled Andrea in. As she did so, she stood just outside the phone booth, listening. Although the din of the snow machines was still quite close, she could listen to the town northwards. There wasn’t much happening. Dogs barking in the distance, owls hooting along the Creek. She couldn’t hear the gilder. That was certain. ‘Osborn is changing up his tactics. Burying the Country Club in snow would be temporary disruption at best. What would he get out of it?’

 

 

“So, that’s it?” Andrea asked when Brittany had finished.

 

“Yes. Find out what may be happening here. Spidey and I will try to stop it without too much damage or hurting the operators.”

 

“SpiderGirl’s webbing doesn’t seem to hurt anyone it restrains,” Andrea pointed out.

 

“That’s true, but sometimes they struggle, and she’s not experienced with equipment like this.”

 

“Got it. But this would probably take till breakfast time. Either way, we will catch up at school.”

 

“Sure.”

 

 

“I will need to web up Sam, but maybe the other operators will be more reasonable,” SpiderGirl said in a hopeful tone as Ninja Talon hung up.

 

“Hopefully.”

 

 

Sam wasn’t that surprised when he heard a thwip! and found himself restrained. “SpiderGirl! Decided to interfere anyway?”

 

“Exactly,” SpiderGirl said as

 

Ninja Talon turned the snow machine off. “On to the next one.”

 

“You can’t just leave me here!” Sam said.

 

“You’ll be safe,” SpiderGirl said. “Gotta go!”

 

 

“It did sound suspicious, but I was desperate,” One of the others said.

 

“That’s what we have been hearing,” SpiderGirl said.

 

“But if you’re sure that the Country Club didn’t ask themselves…” the worker paused and then switched off the machine himself.

 

“Five down,” Ninja Talon said.

 

“However many more to go,” SpiderGIrl added.

 

 

Norman Osborn was awake. He was waiting for a report on the burial of the Country Club. When the phone rang he picked it before second ring.

 

“Mr. Osborn! Vigilantes have interfered as you suspected they would.”

 

“Which ones?” he asked.

 

“SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon, sir.”

 

“Of course,” Norman groused.

 

“They’ve turned them all off.”

 

“Of course they did. Withdraw.”

 

“Aye, sir,” the supervisor said before hanging up.

 

“SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon…. But that leaves the Griffins, the Shadow and Dafoanairi. They could be anywhere.”

 

 

SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon finished shutting down the snow machines. “Done,” the former said.

 

“But what else?” Ninja Talon asked.

 

“It could be anywhere,” SpiderGirl said as she looked back towards the center of Lawndale. “Or maybe he wants us paranoid and running about in a panic.”

 

“We could look over the town from the Historia and the Strawberry. If he’s up to something, we may find it.”

 

“Even with those vantage points we can’t see the entire town, but it’s a good starting point. I’ll head to the Strawberry.”

 

“I’ll take the Historia,” Ninja Talon agreed. “Then we can catch up at the Bridge or at school.”

 

SpiderGirl yawned. “Probably school.”

 

 

Ninja Talon arrived at the Historia first, to find the Shadow there, sketching the skyline.

 

“Ninja Talon?” the latter asked.

 

“Hi, Shadow. have you seen anything?”

 

“Not much, although there was a low rumble to the south a short while ago.”

 

“That was something Spidey and I dealt with,” Ninja Talon responded.

 

“What was it?”

 

 

Ninja Talon then told the Shadow about the snow machines that Oscorp might have been behind them, but not about Sam.

 

 

SpiderGirl arrived at the Giant Strawberry and found it deserted. It wasn’t that she had expected anyone to be there, but that it was possible that either Kevin or the Enigma could have been present.

 

First, she looked out over the town, which seemed calm. ‘Resting,’ she thought.

 

She then looked through the telescopes. She saw two figures on the Historia rooftop in the distance. ‘Talon and someone else talking,’ she considered. She looked elsewhere, but there was no suspicious activity other than the occasional Oscorp agent on a rooftop. ‘They’re doing what they have usually been doing.’

 

She then heard sirens to the northeast near the Interstate. “Responsibility calls,” she said as she swung away.

 

 

The Shadow thought about what Ninja Talon had revealed. A plot by Norman Osborn to destroy the Country Club? It seemed rather petty. ‘It does line up with the rumors about that meeting at Grace, Sloane and Page.’

 

“What do you think?”

 

“That you’re right. Osborn is up to something. But it seems that it is just one plan among many.”

 

“That’s obvious,” Ninja Talon said seriously.

 

“But it seems you two can’t do much more tonight.”

 

“I have got in touch with a person I know who can hack.”

 

“I think SpiderGirl mentioned that before,” the Shadow said.

 

“When was that?”

 

“Just after the robodactyl attack.”

 

 

SpiderGirl arrived at the location and found Officer Peterson and her partner having pulled over a drunk driver. “Oh!” she said.

 

“Not much here,” Peterson said.

 

“I know.”

 

“But did you want to talk about something.”

 

“Yes,” SpiderGirl said before filling Peterson in on both Kevin’s obsession and the incident at the Country Club.