Happy Friday, my friends! As the weather takes a pleasant turn back toward Indian summer, make sure you take some time to get outside to enjoy the beauty of God's creation. Then... make sure you are here to join us for worship on Sunday, of course! My reading today took me into the Old Testament book of the prophet Micah. Here are the words of the prophet...
"And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8 NIV) I think that for those of us raised in the church, understanding God's covenant promises and the authority we have in Christ comes naturally and sometimes it is easy to fall prey to spiritual arrogance. We might take God's goodness for granted; God's sweet fellowship might become overly familiar. We might consider God's blessings a right... rather than a privilege. We can lose sight of the sacred, forget the esteem of the holy, and often lack reverence when we come boldly to the throne of grace. Yes, we are God's beloved children; God is our affectionate Father. But we are also told that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. The prophet Micah reminds us what the Lord really requires of us is to love mercy, do justice, and walk humbly before God. Yes, God's mercies are new every morning and God's lovingkindness never ends. Yet, we must also remember to walk reverently before the Lord, worshipfully, and humbly, not lightly esteeming the sacrifice Christ made for our redemption. Holy is the Lord. So before you open your mouth to speak, or do something you think might grieve God, or sit down to eat... join me in praying, Help me to walk humbly before you, Lord. Amen. +++ We gather on Sunday at 8:30am and 10:00am for worship. It's the 23rd Sunday after Pentecost and we will be blessed to welcome new members at each of our worship services! Come and join these new sisters and brothers as they take their membership vows and unite with our church family. Our scripture will introduce us once again to brothers James and John and hear their amazing request of Jesus for seats of honor at God's banquet table! My message, "At God's Right Hand" has me looking at their request... as I wonder how much of their audacity we each have inside us. Amazing special music, a great choir anthem that we all get to join in on, and a time of morning prayer will round out our plans for Sunday. And we'll be saving a seat just for you! If you can't be in the Sanctuary, join us on the church's Facebook page at 10:00am for our "live-streaming" or later for the recorded worship... on either our Facebook or YouTube channel! However you are able, we can't wait to "see you" in worship on Sunday! +++ Committee Chairs and church staff please remember the deadline for our newsletter articles for the November/December edition of the church newsletter are due in the office by Sunday! Thanks! +++ Look for the November/December edition of The Upper Room magazine on the counter in the Narthex! +++ We will be placing an order for church name tags for our new members on October 25th so... if you need a new name tag, please send an email to the church office before we place the order! +++ The great Immanuel Fall Craft Show is coming up next weekend... October 25th and 26th. Make sure it's on your calendar and stop in to see all the beautiful artworks as you think about your Christmas shopping gift list! There will also be great food available and you'll meet some of the nicest people here for the big event! +++ Administrative Council members please remember we need you here for our annual Charge Conference on Tuesday night, October 29th at 7:00pm. Thanks! +++ Our All Saints celebration will be held on Sunday, November 3rd. If you have the name of a saint who went home this past year to be remembered, please get the name to the church office and bring a candle from home to adorn the altar at this very special worship service! +++ The sign-up sheets for our upcoming Election Day Turkey Dinner are up and beginning to fill up! Thanks to those who have already signed up and make sure you sign up this week to be a part of this wonderful time of fellowship and service to our community. Enjoy the beauty of God's creation and remember to join me in praying, Help me to walk humbly before you, Lord. Amen. Pastor Jack Comments are closed.
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November 2024
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