Friday, April 7, 2023

As we prepare for a grand Resurrection Celebration on Sunday, here are some life-giving words, from the prophet Malachi....

                                        "I the Lord do not change."
                                                 (Malachi 3:6)

One of the most magnificent truths about God is that God meets us in every moment of prayer with the fullness of God's being. God reveals Himself to us as the great I AM, ever present and available. God brings the fullness of who God is to each moment of our lives. God brings not just a part of Himself but all of Himself - in majesty, power, wisdom, and love.
   
Our best and highest response to such marvelous access to the fullness of the holy, omnipotent, infinite King of the universe must surely be one of awe. It matters very little what we say. Just to be in God's presence and to simultaneously be aware of God's presence is to be put into a position of humility, need, and provision. 
   
Rousseau once noted, "To write a good love letter, you will begin without knowing what you are going to say and end without knowing what you have said." The same is true, I think, of prayer. Being in God's presence and having a relationship with the Creator is all that really matters.
   
God wants to reveal Himself to you. Close your eyes and open your heart. Pour out your soul freely. Don't think about what you're going to say. Just relax and renew yourself in God's presence. Friends, God is waiting for you right now.  

         I was -- I am -- I always will be!   --- GOD 

+++ On Saturday a new support group, "Coping in Crisis" gathers for the first time in the Fireside Room from 11:00am -1:00pm. This group is directed by Shelly Peters, our own resident Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. See Shelly for more information about this group and the needs the group hopes to meet.

+++ We worship on Sunday, Resurrection Sunday, at both 8:30am and 10:00am. Both services feature special music, instrumentalists and the celebration of the Sacrament of Holy Communion. And this week we will meet Mary Magdalene in our worship services! We will get to hear from the first person to experience the Easter miracle! Our 10:00am worship will be "live-streamed" on the church's Facebook page and then the recorded service will be "uploaded" to our YouTube channel, as well. We hope to see you all for worship on Sunday!  

+++ At 12:00noon on Sunday we will offer our monthly Service of Healing Prayer and Anointing in the Fireside Room. This intimate time allows for individual prayer and a time of anointing, as we seek God's hand of healing for ourselves and others. If you or someone you know has a need for healing, we hope to see you on Sunday at 12:00noon! 

+++ On Tuesday, April 11th we have a bunch of teams meeting to complete their regular work:
          --- Our Finance Team meets at 6:00pm in the Fireside Room
          --- Our SPRC meets at 6:00pm in the church Nursery
          --- Our Administrative Council meets at 7:00pm in the Fireside Room.
        If you're a member of one (or more) of these teams please mark your calendars and help us complete the needed business of our church!  

+++ Name tags have arrived! If you requested a name tag, please pick it up on the usher's table when you are here again.

Make this day a great day and plan to celebrate the Resurrection with us on Sunday!   
​Pastor Jack ​