|
On this Thanksgiving Day I'm thankful for so many things, but mostly it boils down to people (as it should): my wonderful family and friends near and far - and that includes you! Before we plow relentlessly into the Christmas season and the potentially dark side of consumerism (I think there may be a deeper significance to the name "Black Friday"), take a moment or two to stop and consider your ability to be truly thankful and content right now - without anything else added to it. Most of that "stuff" you'll buy (or be tempted to buy) will neither last long nor bring lasting joy. Take a cue from Paul as he wrote to the Jesus-followers living in Philippi. Paul was sitting in a prison, and yet he wrote the following words: Philippians 4:11-13 (NLT) This Sunday we'll continue our journey through The Story with a sad chapter in the life of King David found in 2 Samuel 11-12. The sin and consequential pain and suffering for David and others can trace their origin back to an attitude of discontentment. We'll talk about how we can avoid falling to our own areas of temptation. I hope you'll be able to join us. Let's learn to focus on contentment and thanksgiving for all that we have right now and enjoy the wonderful freedom and joy it brings! Happy Thanksgiving! Advent Season is almost upon us!If you're able to stick around for a bit following our Worship Celebration, we'd love your help in decorating the church for the season. It's a lot of fun and many hands make light work!
The story of Ruth starts out pretty rough. Naomi's family - her husband, Elimelech, and her two sons - are forced to leave their home in Bethlehem during a famine and travel to Moab in search of food. While there, her husband and both sons die leaving Naomi alone in a foreign country. Well, not quite alone, since her Moabite daughters-in-law are with her. But Naomi figures that the only real hope that she has is to return to Bethlehem and the difficult life of a widow. Her daughter-in-law, Ruth, insists on coming along with her and commits to caring for her. What a blessing for Naomi, but it's a major sacrifice for Ruth!
I hope you've had time to read the full story - it's only 4 chapters long - and how God restored hope to both Naomi and Ruth. It's one of those happily-ever-after accounts that give us a warm feeling. But those great endings only have their powerful impact on us because of the times of despair preceding. God's love and care for us never ceases even though we sometimes feel like it has. His love triumphs over our circumstances and sustains us through dark times. The key to this is to keep our trust in God and, in the words of the Wilson-Phillips song from 20 years ago "Hold on for one more day". But for those of us who are not in the midst of personal tragedy or challenge, God is calling us to play a part in his work in the lives of others. Just as Boaz showed special kindness and care toward Ruth, we have opportunities to do the same for others. Who do you know that you can reach out to and share God's love today? How can you meet a practical need for someone? The wonderful news is that God is always at work in his UPPER story - no matter what's going on in our lower story. And he is the only one who can redeem our life and circumstances through his loving presence, power, and provision. I hope you'll be able to join us this Sunday, November 9th, as we look at this wonderful love story. |
Pastor JeffThoughts about living as a Jesus follower and life at Community Covenant Church Archives
December 2020
Categories |
RSS Feed
