O Lord, Our Lord,
The hot days of summer are upon us and we dream of distant places were tall pines, cool nights and cold streams refresh us. This is a time for travel and vacations. We thank you for the abilities and resources that allow us to briefly experience other environs and escape the bonds of scorching June, July and August winds. As we dream, sensitize us, O Lord, to the needs of others in our own community, those who have neither the ability nor the resources for respite from the oppressive heat. May we be mindful of the elderly, those in substandard housing, the homeless and the disadvantaged. These are our neighbors. These are the ones who most often embody the Christ, if we believe Jesus’ words in Matthew 25. Forgive us, we pray, when we look away or pass by on the other side. As we consider travel or cool swimming pools or mountain streams may we also consider purchasing a box fan for the Salvation Army, calling an elderly acquaintance to see what they might need, or gifting CDSA to help with someone unknown with an electric bill. We are so blessed, O God. May our actions bless others. In Jesus name we pray, AMEN.
____________________________________________
The board voted last night to continue to underwrite and support Kids Central so that it might remain a vital and necessary ministry in Enid. We reaffirmed this is a mission of our congregation. A line of credit will allow Kids Central to make it through the summer while making changes in cost and fee structures. David Eck and Don Johnson are now on a new Finance Committee to assist in those efforts. Also some of the functional committees will be represented on the Kids Central board. Please continue to pray for Kids Central. You will be seeing and reading a lot more about the wonderful and necessary service it provides for the larger community.
Our prayers continue to go up for Sue McClendon, Davida Whitsett, Gene Carlson and Ira McAnally.
This is the Fourth of July weekend. Once again, many of our parishioners will be traveling for vacation, family reunions, and time away. Please pray for their safety and pray for our church. If you are in Enid this weekend, please join with your church family as we worship our loving and ever-present God.
One week from today, Carolyn and I will begin our drive toward Nashville and the 2011 General Assembly. Sharron Watkins, the General Minister and President of our denomination, has produced a video about the church, the assembly and spiritual practices, It is a little over 4 minutes long. I encourage you to click on the link and watch the video. www.disciples.org/Video/tabid/892/Default.aspx
The scripture for today is Matthew 27:45-56:
From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.”At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.”
Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many. Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”Many women were also there, looking on from a distance; they had followed Jesus from Galilee and had provided for him. Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
Grace and peace,
John McLemore
No comments:
Post a Comment