Ever Living God,
Memory is a powerful gift. Current experiences often trigger strong recollections of family, friends, vacations, jobs, first time situations, baptisms, new learning, births, deaths, sorrow and happiness. There are memories that bring tears to our eyes and memories that cause us to laugh out loud. As we reflect and remember, O God, may we recall those moments we were closest to You, those times when our experience of You was palpable. May we remember when our hearts were warmed by Your grace and we confessed Jesus as Lord, then, as we remember, may we find ways to share those experiences with those around us. Help us to articulate why we believe and have faith in You and why being a Christian is important to us. We thank You, O God, for our memory of You, we celebrate our experiences of You, and we now live life expectantly in Your embrace. In Jesus name we pray. AMEN.
I misspoke yesterday. Clo Rine celebrated her 96th birthday. She is in good spirits in St, Mary’s hospital. Her son is here from Texas.
Ruby Manahan and Paul Spratt are still hospitalized. Ruby was doing occupational therapy yesterday and had a big smile on her face. Paul is very weak and it was difficult for him to talk. Please pray for our hospitalized.
The Women’s Walk to Emmaus began yesterday evening. Please pray for the servants and the pilgrims. A number of our people are involved as we host this walk.
It is a beautiful day. May we rejoice and be glad in it.
The scripture for today is 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12:
Finally, brothers and sisters, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that, as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God (as, in fact, you are doing), you should do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from fornication; that each one of you know how to control your own body in holiness and honor, not with lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one wrong or exploit a brother or sister in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, just as we have already told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness. Therefore whoever rejects this rejects not human authority but God, who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.
Now concerning love of the brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anyone write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do love all the brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, beloved, to do so more and more, to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we directed you, so that you may behave properly toward outsiders and be dependent on no one.
Grace and peace,
John McLemore
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