This Friday my reading takes me to Paul's letter to the Romans where I read these words... "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." (Romans 12:3 NIV) Days turn into weeks -- weeks into months -- and months into years. We hardly notice the change that takes place in ourselves as time passes by. Are we growing? Are we being transformed into the person God designed us to be? How do our lifestyles and habits measure up? Have we stepped back and taken stock of how far we have come on our spiritual journey? Perspective is the process of not only recognizing where we are in relation to where we are going, but also how we measure up to Christ, the hope of glory in us. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul urges us to be circumspect. That means being self-aware, to see ourselves objectively, to judge ourselves. Many of us are too busy to stop and consider ourselves deeply. Take an opportunity for that deep rest and reflection. Remember to take time to reflect and be mindful. So when your priorities feel out of place or weeks go by without any rest, or when you're feeling disconnected stop and think and then pray, Make me aware of Your perspective, O Lord. Amen. +++ This Sunday is the 5th Sunday of Lent and as we continue being Guided to the Cross, I will be speaking about being Guided to Perseverance. We'll be looking at John's Gospel account as we see Jesus' perseverance. And I'm thinking about what true perseverance really requires. We will worship at both 8:30am and 10:00am and our Facebook "live-stream" begins on the church's Facebook page at 10:00am! And, of course, we will then "upload" the completed worship to our YouTube channel when completed. We've got some great special music planned this week and at 10:00am we will celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. Join us as little Jack and his family are welcomed and celebrated here in God's family! +++ We continue taking Easter flower orders to decorate the Sanctuary on Resurrection Day! See Julie or Lois at the table in the Narthex to place your orders. +++ This coming week we will gather with our friends at Camillus Ridge Terrace for worship on Wednesday 3/20 at 11:00am and then at Summerfield Village on Thursday 3/21 at 1:00pm. You're invited to worship with us at either of these stops! +++ Our Lenten Study on being Guided to the Cross continues on Wednesday at 1:00pm in the Fireside Room. Join us if you can for this wonderful time of study and learning! +++ We continue to gather personal care items (toothbrushes, toothpaste, bar soap, lotions, shampoo, etc.) for our friends at University United Methodist Church in Syracuse. Just put your donations on the table in the Narthex, please. And keep filling your Lenten Self Denial coin box to help us feed hungry people at our sister congregation! +++ Our Holy Week schedule is:
+++ Mark your calendars...
Make this day a great day and always remember to pray, Make me aware of Your perspective, O Lord. Pastor Jack Comments are closed.
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January 2025
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