Shenandoah District Connection
Signs of the Risen Christ
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“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6, NIV)
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For God, who said “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine
in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ (2 Corinthians 4: 6, NIV).
The LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace"' (Numbers 6:25-26, NIV)
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I am an outdoorsman. I love to hike, I love to camp--combine that and you have my favorite outdoor activity of backpacking. Years ago, I thru-hiked all of the Appalachian Trail and have completed two thirds of it again on various section hikes over the years. My wife and I backpacked 1,600 miles on our honeymoon! Early in my backpacking career, I was introduced to the phrase that when you are backpacking:
“Take nothing but photographs, Leave nothing but footprints.”
If someone comes along behind you, they should experience the same space that you formally occupied as if you had not been there. There are many adherents to this philosophy who make outdoor adventure truly remarkable. An unspoiled creation is something to be celebrated!
I am a hunter. Animals also leave footprints. Each species has a distinctive print pattern that alerts you to the animals that have been present at some time in the past. If you practice, you can tell how long ago the animal was present and often individual animal print nuances. I once hunted a buck for three years that had a distinctive left front hoof print. In the midst of the hunt, I could tell if that exact animal had been prowling around.
I am a Christian. Christ is living within me today. Would someone you meet in your journey see if the footprint of Christ is present in you? When you have left that encounter, can others see the Christ that was there? 2 Corinthians 4: 6 says,
"
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
"
I am often sobered by the thought that you could personally be the only face of Jesus that someone sees for an entire day. They may not know they are looking for Jesus, but when they encounter you, hopefully by the power of the Holy Spirit, they realize that something about you is different. Do you leave a footprint of Jesus behind you?
In this time of separation, be the face (or the voice on a phone call) of Jesus.
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Oh Lord, I am lonely
I need someone to hold my hand, to touch me, to hug me
I miss my family, my friends, my church, my people
and then someone calls, or I have help with Zoom or Facetime
and I hear their voice and I see their face
and I am at Peace for another day.
Thank you Lord, for the face of your son Jesus that I see in others.
Amen.
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We remember
Tim Sites
who is in Sentara Hospital. Tim is serving as interim pastor at Leake’s Chapel.
Pray for his healing and restoration to health. W
e also remember Pastor
Jack Haddock
, who has been released from the hospital and is recuperating at home. Continue to pray for Jack as he recovers. He serves at Trinity in Page County.
Prayer is needed for
Accordius Health
in Harrisonburg as the COVID-19 virus has been impacting residents there.
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The denomination has created a new page for their website that is specifically designed to provide financial assistance information during COVID-19
.
Click here to access page
.
Brethren Benefit Trust has adapted a document that contains important information about the legislative decisions made by Congress recently.
Download a copy here
to learn more about the Paycheck Protection Program, Economic Injury Loans, Paid Leave Benefits, and Paycheck Retention Credits.
Pastor for Youth and Young Fam
ilies Gabe Dodd has shared a resource to make outreach to youth easier. Gabe, who serves at Montezuma, said, "The resource is called the 'Good News Youth Devotional,' and will provide a new devotion for youth every weekday between Easter and Pentecost. During these seven weeks, youth have a short description of the text, a statement of what the good news is, a discussion question, and some kind of interactive activity." These resources may be used for digital interactions with youth or simply emailed to them to access independently.
Click here to check it out.
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Attributions
Today's Call to Meditation and Benediction
submitted by:
Bruce Bowman
Member, Staunton Church of the Brethren
Chair, Congregational Care Team
Member, District Leadership Team
Retired State Field Veterinarian -
Highly Infectious Disease Control
Call to Worship supplied by
John Jantzi
District Execu
tive Minister
Shenandoah District
Sources:
Today's photo by Marty Barlow
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If you have questions about the Daily Connection, contact:
Director of Communications
Shenandoah District Church of the Brethren
P.O. Box 67
Weyers Cave, Va. 24486
(540) 234-8555
www.shencob.org
(Graphics courtesy of pixabay.com, unless otherwise stated)
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