Scripture: 1st Peter 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…
Thought for the Day: In an essay titled “Revitalizing Rural Communities: How Churches Can Help”, Dr. Fred Kirschenmann (professor of religion and philosophy at Iowa State University) writes:
Vaclav Havel, Paulo Freire, Wendell Berry, and Martin Luther King all have reminded us that hope is not confidence that things will turn out alright, but a commitment to justice even when there appears to be little to be gained by making that commitment. Wendell Berry refers to this virtue as ‘difficult hope.’ … Hope is not a belief that things will go well, but a willingness to work for something because it is right.
For those of us who are result oriented and maybe a little impatient, this is not an easy description to accept. We might be confronted with the question, “What if I work for something all my life, yet the end result appears no different?” In those moments, we need to remember that our willingness to live our lives with hope changed us, and in doing so, changed the world around us whether the evidence of that change was visible to us or not. Know that God will always use your hope-filled faith.
Prayer: May I find the strength to maintain my trust in you, Lord, even when my best efforts appear to make no difference. You desire for me to be successful, but at the end of the day, you have simply invited me to be faithful. Amen.
Worship This Sunday Morning
8:15, 9:30 & 11:00
Sermon: We ain’t the Blues Brothers, but…
IMPORTANT
THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON
Pastoral Care Ministry invites you to A Journey of Hope Cancer Seminar from 3-5 pm (Rooms 203-204). Discussions will include explanations and understanding of what cancer is and is not. Also included are treatments, prevention, and spiritual insights of hope and prayers. Hear the amazing testimonies of our own Ange and Bob Aghamalian’s journey. There will be surprises and refreshments. We look forward to seeing you and hearing your questions and comments.
