O God of Mystery and of Grace,
We rejoice in this day, may it be a day of wonder for us. Forgive us, O Lord, when our life is devoid of pauses. Help us to find brief moments today and every day to absorb the beauty of Your creation, to see Your movement in the lives of others, to feel You with us, and to give You thanks. Perhaps it is no more than the time for a deep breath, but it is time when we focus on You. Paul tells us in Romans that the Spirit intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. May our pauses open us to the movement of the Your Spirit. In Jesus name we pray, AMEN.
____________________________________________________
Yesterday was a wonderful Mother’s Day at Central Christian Church. Congratulations to Eunice “Barney” Barnes for being this year’s Mother of the Year.
Please continue to pray for Birdene Schoonover, Ruth Webb, Marianna Powell, Joan Ingmire and Eric Koegel, who are all hospitalized.
Please pray for me today. I see the plastic surgeon this morning so he can repair my nose.
May God touch our hearts in ways that empower us to invite and welcome others into our faith community.
The scripture for today is 2 Samuel 12:14-24:
Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the LORD, the child that is born to you shall die.”
Then Nathan went to his house. The LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it became very ill. David therefore pleaded with God for the child; David fasted, and went in and lay all night on the ground. The elders of his house stood beside him, urging him to rise from the ground; but he would not, nor did he eat food with them. On the seventh day the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead; for they said, “While the child was still alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to us; how then can we tell him the child is dead? He may do himself some harm.”But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, he perceived that the child was dead; and David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” They said, “He is dead.”Then David rose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes. He went into the house of the LORD, and worshiped; he then went to his own house; and when he asked, they set food before him and he ate. Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while it was alive; but when the child died, you rose and ate food.”He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me, and the child may live. ‘But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”Then David consoled his wife Bathsheba, and went to her, and lay with her; and she bore a son, and he named him Solomon. The LORD loved him,
Grace and peace,
John McLemore
No comments:
Post a Comment