O Gracious and Eternal Light,
You illumine our souls. You warm us with Your presence. You cast out the darkness of our lives. We are blessed this day, O Lord. We are overwhelmed by the unseasonable warmth and beauty of Your creation. May our energy be renewed and our spiritual passion enlivened so that we might proclaim and live the Gospel Good News. In Jesus name we pray, AMEN.
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At 8:50 p.m. yesterday evening Russell Maupin “finished his journey” as the family described it. Please pray for his sons, Mark and Chris, and all those close to Russell. Funeral arrangements are pending at Brown-Cummings Funeral Home.
Don Johnson saw Grant Harris in Norman yesterday afternoon. Grant really needs our prayers.
Room 109 is having carpet installed this morning and new tables will be set up tomorrow. The Genesis Class has already painted the walls, redecorated, and purchased new chairs. Now we will have a comfortable, well appointed, less noisy primary meeting room for committees and other groups, as well as a nice classroom. We have attempted to use volunteers to update at least one room per year. Last year we renovated the theater room into a “world class” facility used by a number of groups. The “Kids Time” room was moved upstairs and remodeled for the children. Within the recent past we have repainted the Education Wing hallway and added murals. We have also completely updated the downstairs kitchen for use by our youth and Kids Central. Of course the Property Committee has done numerous general projects as well. There is much to celebrate as we seek to keep our facility updated, warm and inviting.
The scripture for today is Matthew 10:1-15:
Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food. Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, greet it. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
Grace and peace,
JOhn McLemore
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