The Advent Season

Jeremiah 33:14-16 -
The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: "The Lord is our righteousness."

These were days of military defeat and exile. And yet....

Things could not get worse. And yet....

Advent is not just about who came in the past, although that element is surely present. It is primarily about who will be coming in the future! The days are surely coming, says the Lord!! How important is the schedule sitting on your desk right now compared to the promise of eternity? The church calendar is in large part a tool for helping us remember our priorities.

The Lord is coming. Are you ready?

Happy Thanksgiving!

We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known;
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing,
Sing praises to His Name: He forgets not His own.

We all do extol Thee, Thou Leader triumphant,
And pray that Thou still our Defender wilt be.
Let Thy congregation escape tribulation:
Thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!
- Anonymous

Have a most blessed weekend!

See you on Sunday!

Happy Thanksgiving!

"No, brothers and sisters, it is not enough to change laws. You have to change hearts. Otherwise, when you have completed the journey of your social labors you shall find yourselves right back at the beginning - only this time it is you who will be the arrogant, the rich, and the exploiters of the poor." - From I, Francis by Carlo Carretto

A common phrase often repeated states that you can't legislate morality. Outlawing pornography isn't really effective as long as there are people seeking it. Changing attitudes is the real task of the Christian Disciple. As we look forward to a few days of plenty and feel the call to address the shortcomings of society, let us remember to do so one heart at a time!

Have a Blessed Week!

In 1350, give or take a few years, a theological book was written in Germany which ended up being called Theologia Germanica. The Protestant Reformation was still 100 years away but their were still many conversations taking place about the integrity of the Christian Faith and how we can best experience a relationship with Christ in the here and now.

As a foundation upon which to build, the Theologia first states that, "One says - and rightly so - that God is above and without rules, measure, and order, yet renders to all things rules, order, measure, and moral integrity."

I think that this is exactly right! Structure and discipline have to be in place before one can truly be open to all that life has to offer. And as we approach a very busy time of the year, you can believe that a structured calendar will very much be your friend.

We are a week away from Thanksgiving. For what are you truly thankful?

Here the purpose and meaning of prayer dawned upon me for the first time. Here I was privileged to see more clearly than ever before the purpose of prayer: to glorify the name of God.

The scales fell from my eyes. I saw in a new light the misuse of prayer and the difficulties connected with prayer as well as the place of our own efforts in prayer.

Prayer life has its own laws, as all the rest of life has. The fundamental law in prayer is this: Prayer is given and ordained for the purpose of glorifying God. Prayer is the appointed way of giving Jesus an opportunity to exercise his supernatural powers of salvation. And in so doing he desires to make use of us. - From Prayer by O. Hallesby

On Sunday, Nov. 22, we recognize Christ as King! The following Sunday begins the Advent season and we start reliving the bible narrative all over again. Everything we are and hope to be is instructed and influenced by the faith statement we are able to make at this time.

And... I have just learned... Breakfast for dinner on Wednesday night in our Wednesday Night Cafe!! See you there!

Marinated chicken tonight for dinner in the fellowship hall! This is my favorite meal, followed closely by the marinated pork.

"Grant me, O Lord, to know what I ought to know,
to love what I ought to love,
to praise what delights thee most,
to value what is precious in thy sight,
to hate what is offensive to thee.

Do not suffer me to judge according to the sight of my eyes,
nor to pass sentence according to the hearing of the ears of ignorant men;
but to discern with a true judgment between things visible and spiritual,
and above all, always to inquire what is the good pleasure of thy will." - Thomas a Kempis

"All prayer is thus activity, just as all generous activity (mixed motive and all) is a form of prayer. Prayer and action are one. To pray is a form of the verb to do, while to do is a form of the verb to pray." - From Tensions by H. A. Williams

Sincere Christian commitment is more than just thinking about what it all means.

God be with you!