Friday, June 12, 2026

Another week has come and gone here at Immanuel! Today we hear some words from Psalm 91...
 
           "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of
             the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress,
                                           my God, in whom I trust."
                                             (Psalm 91: 1-2 NIV)
 
Since we live in an area prone to severe winter storms, we know that sometimes it's unwise and unsafe to venture out, even for a short time, when the snow is falling, the ice is forming, and the wind is howling. Common sense should guide us to the best decision for that day: Stay sheltered indoors where it's dry and warm.
   
The writer of Psalm 91 understood well the importance of remaining sheltered in the Lord, especially in times of difficulty and danger. He knew that God never promised him a trouble-free life (verse 15), but he also was convinced that his best hope was to dwell "in the shelter of the Almighty."
   
God hasn't changed one iota since Psalm 91 was penned all those centuries ago. Today, we still have the privilege of resting in the shelter the Lord provides. When we purposefully take shelter in our loving heavenly Father's shadow, we put ourselves in the place to receive an amazing blessing: God's protection and comfort. 
 
Lord Jesus, thank you that because I belong to you, I can take refuge under the Father's shadow today and every day. May I never stray, for even one moment, from that shadow. Amen. 
 
+++ We worship on Sunday at both 8:30am and 10:00am. This week we will hear, once again, the Great Commission from the end of Matthew's Gospel account and my message is entitled, "Comings and Goings". Following our 10:00am worship service it will be time for our annual Church Picnic! We have lots of people signed up and will have lots of fun, as well. And, of course, it is always a tasty treat when Methodists gather for a picnic. During the picnic take a few moments and get your car washed at the Youth Car Wash! All of the proceeds will be split between the Golisano Children's Hospital and Devin's Rec Room here in Camillus. We will also be celebrating the Sacrament of Holy Baptism at the 10:00am worship service. If you can't be here in person, look for us on the church's Facebook page at 10:00am for our "live stream" or after the worship is completed on the church's YouTube channel.

+++ Also on Sunday we will make our commitments to Immanuel's M2 campaign. This program provides needed support for our Maintenance and Mission work! We will have extra pledge cards available if you forget yours and we hope you will pray about supporting this important work. 

+++ Next Sunday, June 21st, we switch to our summer worship schedule with one worship service at 9:00am. This schedule will continue through the Labor Day weekend. We will welcome Rebekah Solar, from our conference staff, as our preacher next Sunday.   
 
Make this day a great day and always rest secure in God's protection and comfort.  Pastor Jack