Patient God,
You are always more ready to hear than we are to pray, yet we humbly approach You today. You know us, O Lord. You know our life’s circumstances. You know our defeats and our joys. Help us to realize prayer is not so much repeating our concerns and listing our requests as it is intentionally practicing Your presence. It seems that faith is most often reduced to statements of belief. . .”I believe this . . .”, “I believe that. . .”. Help us, O God, to not focus on creeds and statements that we debate and can cause separation. Rather help us to experience You in our lives. Today, Loving God, we seek to practice Your presence. We open our hearts to You in Jesus’ name. AMEN.
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There will be a family visitation for the family of Jack Edgar, Melissa Hula’s father who died yesterday, on Wednesday from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Cornerstone Church in Collinsville. A graveside service will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 20th at the Grace Hill Cemetery Pavilion in Perry, Oklahoma. Our hearts and prayers go out for Melissa, Gary, Austin and Macy.
Birdene Schoonover is working hard at her physical therapy at the Bass Pavilion.
Please lift up prayers of support for a family who has requested prayer for a confidential matter.
The Worship Committee is meeting this evening at 7:00 p.m.
There will be a cabinet meeting tomorrow evening at 7:30 p.m. in Room 109. A part of our discussion will be Central Christian Church’s response to the recent events at the Presbyterian Church.
We had a mailing “glitch” last week and many of you did not receive a “Heart Card” which gave you the opportunity to write down what you love about your church. There are cards at the Welcome Center and a basket in which to place them. Many of these will be displayed in the loggia. Please take a moment, complete a card, and place it in the basket.
Our denominational website is www.disciples.org. Check it from time to time to see what is happening with the larger Disciples’ church.
The scripture for today is 2 Timothy 4:1-8:
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully. As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Grace and peace,
John McLemore
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