Called to Gather, Pray, and Worship
Blessed to be a Blessing
Romans 1:7
To all [in Rome] who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
~ Apostle Paul
Pondering Point
I love these words because they remind me that I am called to BE something. I am called to be God’s. Doing can and should still occur by faith, but let grace and peace spring up, not from what we do for God, but from who we are in Christ, from whom all blessings flow.
It is time to bring one church year to a close and start a new one with the onset of Advent, a season of anticipating the coming of Jesus. The church year is set up to begin and end with the end in mind: The coming of Jesus to restore all things. In a convenient stroke of suitability, thanksgiving also happens to fall around this time. It gives us an opportunity to thank God for his blessings that come to us through Jesus Christ our Lord. We are going to have a week of thanksgiving to transition with an attitude of gratitude for Father God, Jesus and the Spirit for Their kindness, mercy and love.
My Gratitude Journal
A Confirmation Paper to Remember
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Confirmation classes at Hope have always been small. This was no exception. Trent Waters was joined by younger sister Veronica (Ronnie) to round out a half dozen or so students. Though Ronnie was young, she excelled in the training.
When time came to write a paper, she asked specifically for the Lord’s Supper. She had a reason. A grand reason. A grand-mother reason to be exact. Bev Boike, her grandmother, had come down with cancer; it was a struggle. We prayed, we visited, we hoped, we cried.
In one of those deep-conversation days, Bev said that she wanted God to let her live. I asked “Why?” She replied, “I want to see my grandkids confirmed.”
Mom and Dad agreed, and we were on the road to confirmation. But life can be harsh. Time was short and the family gathered at Charlie and Bev’s house. I brought communion. It seemed a shame not to include soon-to-be confirmands in the experience. So, with a crash course in Holy Communion, all family members shared the Lord’s Supper – Ronnie and Trent’s first time. One of Bev’s last. Oh, how moving it was!
When Ronnie presented her paper at confirmation, retelling the story captured above, tears flowed around the room. They flow as I type this sentence – maybe as you read it. Such deep joy, one of appreciation.
And there was the Lord right in the middle of it.