Happy Thursday, CHURCH!
I pray that you are staying dry during these torrential downpours. I know at our house, we had a pool that inched up to the top and threatened to spill over. Luckily, the storm broke before that happened. The really good news … Our new roof at the church is … NO LEAKS. What a welcome relief! Cannot say enough how grateful I am for those folks who made our new roof a reality. I would like to thank our church leadership for the wonderful Annual Congregational Meeting last Sunday. The spirit in the room was joyous and the business of the church was handled with an expertise not seen in many churches. Thank you, Leaders.
We are approaching the third week of our 2024 kick-off sermon series …
“A Million Dreams.” This coming Sunday we will look at the dreams and life of Abraham. Did you know that “Abe” began his journey with God with a dream. The cool thing is he nurtured this dream and although it did not happen for close to 100 years, Abraham remained faithful. I hope you will come and be with us for worship. I know you will especially be blessed by
Jassmine’s rendition of, “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes.” God is up to something and we want everyone to be a part; to dream with us to match God’s dreams FOR us.
Lent is right around the corner. February 14th, Valentine’s Day, is also Ash Wednesday. As we have done in past years, we will meet at 11:30 in the Fellowship Hall for a light lunch, a brief word and imposition of ashes. If you have never been a part of this ancient ritual, I encourage you to give it a shot this year. It preps us in a mysterious way for the Lenten journey. During Lent, beginning, February 22nd, we will begin a book study. The book is, “The Secret Message of Jesus,” by Brian McLaren. We will have both a 10:00 a.m. session and a 6:00 p.m. gathering. I encourage you to secure the book. You can find it here:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=the+secret+message+of+jesus+brian+mclaren&crid=2YPV74QG1TXS3&sprefix=The+SEcret+message+of+%2Caps%2C177&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_22
As tempting as it will be, I want to encourage you to wait and read it along with your group during Lent. The 6-week journey towards Easter is a marathon and not a sprint. I hope you will consider joining one of the studies.
Until Sunday, spend some time thinking about the dreams in your own life. What propels you forward? What is the one thing you will do all night long, not ever looking at the clock? What is the goal and vision set forth in your dreams? Last year our theme was, PASSION, this year, A MILLION DREAMS. Interesting, huh? It wasn’t’ necessarily planned this way, but I sure am glad it worked out this way. I love being your pastor.
Holding you close and lifting you high!
Pastor Greg
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