Let’s turn a new page shall we?

12 Mar Let’s turn a new page shall we?

Well last week was something…

We started Monday morning with no one in the hospital & by Friday we had three people in the hospital.

All prayers being answered, by tonight we’ll be back to zero again. Let’s see if we can’t keep it that way for a good long while.

 

And it seems as if almost everyone has a birthday this week. I like those sorts of numbers piling up.

So…Let’s do more birthdays a fewer hospital stays. 😉

And for this week…let’s do this…

1. Ladies Fellowship is Thursday at Sue & Trevor’s place.
2. Zoom Bible Study Catch-up (Psalm 8 & Mark 2)

Friday 15th March 2024 @ 1:00 PM

Join Zoom Meeting  —  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83006349720  —  Meeting ID: 830 0634 9720

3. This coming Sunday, 17^th March, is a Morning Tea week…so grab a friend who wouldn’t naturally be in worship & bring them along for the fun & the food!
4. Holy Week & Easter are not far off…YIKES! So please do grab a few of those little postcards & pop ‘em in the hands of your family & friends.
5. There will be a Living Water Prayer Meeting Schedule in the bulletin this Sunday. Those Saturday mornings are becoming an integral part of our ministry as a congregation. You should jump in to those starting in May…there’ll be almost one a month between May & the end of the year.

You know how I say every now & then a particular piece of Scripture just grabs me & won’t let go?

Well…I’m reading through Deuteronomy at the moment. Moses is giving the Israelites their history as told to the generation that will begin conquering the Promised Land. He’s re-grounding their lives in God’s grace as evidenced by the Exodus & wilderness wanderings that have taken them twice now to the very borders of the land God has said would be theirs. His purpose is to ensure they remember that their lives in this new land are only assured as they live obediently responsive to God’s word in the covenant he has made with them. At one point Moses says this:

Deut. 8:3 –Yes, the Lord humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 For all these forty years your clothes didn’t wear out, and your feet didn’t blister or swell.

As a community of disciples…I felt those verses described our experience over these last 10+ years. God humbled us and led us away from every security a congregation in a denomination could have. We do not own a building & rely deeply on volunteers for many things that some congregations pay for. We don’t rely on tricks, gimmicks or techniques for our ministries…we simply have God’s word & the faithful fellowship to sustain us. There’s no “district office” to pay our bills if we run short…every dollars is generously given & wisely spent. When I go away on annual leave, many of you pick up the Sunday morning responsibilities & carry on as always. There’s no back-up plan of seminarians or retired pastors or locum guys to just drive over… And we are blessed beyond measure. We have not suffered want or scarcity or lack in anything. God always provides through you or someone you know. I pray that we remain humble & reliant solely on the Father who has led us thus far. I also pray that Jesus continues to keep his promise of putting the right words in our mouths when it is time for us to give reason for our hope or our blessings.

 

I’ll see you Sunday or somewhere along the way this week.

Like apostle Paul apostle said, “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy…” – Philippians 1:3-4

 

John