Prayer for Today, Wednesday, September 14

O Divine Presence,

We ask for forgiveness so often the gesture seems shallow and meaningless. We speak of grace with such frequency that its meaning seems diminished.  These statements are true in our relationships with others and in our relationship with You. Help us to move beyond  cheap grace. May we reflect on the life of Jesus the Christ, his ministry, his teachings, and his revelation of You; his death on a cross and, ultimately, his resurrection. Forgiveness comes with great cost: Your forgiveness and the forgiveness of others. May we live a life worthy of love. May our pleas for grace be from truly repentant hearts. This we pray in Jesus' name.

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Merle Phillips had successful surgery yesterday and spent the night at St. Mary's hospital. He will likely be released today.

Gene Mason is in ICU at St. Mary's. He is in good spirits, but his heart began to give the doctors problems when they were doing a kidney stone procedure.

Davida Whitsitt is still hospitalized as is Ruby Manahan. 

Please pray for Merle, Gene, Davida, and Ruby. Also pray for Judy Mason, Gene's wife, and Sandy Manahan, Ruby's daughter. They both have a lot on their plate.

Tonight the WWNF meal is provided by Kids Central. Join us for the good food, fellowship, choir and classes. The meal is available at 5:15 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall.

Won't you be a laborer for God? Please pray for guidance that you might use your gifts and graces to proclaim and live the Good News, inviting others into a life transforming relationship with Jesus Christ and his church.

The scripture for today is Jude 1:8-13:

Yet in the same way these dreamers also defile the flesh, reject authority, and slander the glorious ones. ⁹But when the archangel Michael contended with the devil and disputed about the body of Moses, he did not dare to bring a condemnation of slander against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" ¹⁰But these people slander whatever they do not understand, and they are destroyed by those things that, like irrational animals, they know by instinct. ¹¹Woe to them! For they go the way of Cain, and abandon themselves to Balaam's error for the sake of gain, and perish in Korah's rebellion. ¹²These are blemishes on your love-feasts, while they feast with you without fear, feeding themselves. They are waterless clouds carried along by the winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, uprooted; ¹³wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the deepest darkness has been reserved forever.

Grace and peace,

John McLemore

P.S. Check out our church's Facebook Page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Central-Christian-Church-in-Enid-OK/106977052105?ref=nf Explore the location. There are some great pictures there and while you are there join the page.