Scripture: Ephesians 6:19-20
Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.
Thought for the Day: I am both humbled and thankful for the number of people in the life of the congregation who say (and I believe them) they are praying for me. There is a desire to preach and teach boldly (as we hear Paul say in Ephesians), share a good word in the hospital, have just the right thoughts for the stranger who calls in crisis, and continue to guide the church on a faithful path. There are days when it feels as if all these have come relatively easy, but those days are fewer than I wish. There are days when I wish I had the batting average of the Houston Astros (Houston is currently right in the middle of the pack at .241), but even that is wishful thinking. This is not to complain or to look for sympathy, but to recognize how my job and everyone else’s jobs can be tough. Whether you are a teacher, waiter, plumber, musician, IT person, engineer, warehouse supervisor, student, security guard, truck driver, salesperson, EMT, artist, business owner, cook or ____________ (fill in the blank), you probably have some really good days where you feel as if most everything went your way. But there are those other days… This is where I want to encourage us to be praying for one another. Having people pray for us does not make us successful or the job easy, but I believe there is spiritual energy that is shared from which we can draw. This spiritual energy (grace, hope, mercy) is ultimately from God, but as people of faith, I believe we can distribute it – through words, actions and prayer. It is the ability to reach into that spiritual energy being gifted to us that helps on those less than stellar days on the job. It provides us the grace to get out of bed the next day, and to do so without being consumed by the failures of yesterday. The prayers of others help us to see the new day with more possibilities than we might have otherwise seen. Thank you for the prayers you offer me!
Prayer: Continue to put me in the streams of your grace and mercy, O God, for it is there that I can draw the sustenance for life. Allow me to also be the one who helps to divert that stream into the lives of those who are needing to draw from it themselves. Amen.
THE SHADOW OF A DOUBT
The Study Continues
TODAY-Tuesday
Paula’s class will be focusd on chapter 3
TOMORROW-Wednesday
Bruce’s class will be focused on chpater 4
We missed a week because of the flooding,
so we are extending the classes by one week.
AND THIS SUNDAY…
