Christ United Methodist Church News
News
Excerpts from our July 2008 Newsletter --
Message from the Pastor
I Corinthians16:13-14 "Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love."
Please bear with me in this letter. Forgive me for my frustration. It's about my struggle, not yours and I really mean that from the bottom of my heart. In May we decided to have Wednesday night supper. In June we decided not to have Wednesday night supper except for the last Wednesday in June and July.
I had several people come to me and say they missed it so much and would I reconsider. So I reconsidered. This is my final answer. I have asked and been assured that there are 3 groups who will provide supper on July 9, 16, & 23. June 25 & July 30, we will have our Family Night Covered Dish as planned. This is the final answer. I feel like Regis Philbin.
So I write this while asking forgiveness for the confusion of it all. This leads me to my Scripture and a few thoughts about our loving Heavenly Father. Can you imagine a conversation like this?
God the Father says to God the Son, "I want you to become like those humans we created in the Garden. We already know their outcome. Unless you're willing to die for their sins, they will be lost forever."
God the Son says, "No, I don'*t think I'll do it. They're not faithful; they change their minds too much. They don't love us or each other as themselves. So I'll pass."
But later on God the Son, after thinking about it, comes back to God the Father and says, "I've changed my mind. There will be a few who keep alert, stand firm in the faith, will be courageous and strong to the end and will do everything in love. For those and anyone else who will come to me for forgiveness of sins, I will die for."
And Jesus did. He died for the entire world. Those who would receive forgiveness of sins were given eternal life. But the story doesn'*t end there. One of these days we will all be called together into one BIG family to celebrate our Savior*s love for us. We will live with our risen Lord forever and forever. Hallelujah!
"Thank you Lord Jesus, for choosing to go to the cross for us. Thank you for not changing your mind when you could have called 10,000 angels to take you off that horrible cross, but you chose to stay there for my sins and for the sins of everyone in the world."
Now, people of God, can you at least live like Christ asks us to? Can you ? Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong and let all that you do be done in love?
You can if you want to. Do you want to?
Kent