Family Church: Learning about Forgiveness

This is going to be a fabulous Sabbath! Family church is this week! It is one of my favorite ways to experience worship and learning because it is so hands on. I hope it will be a favorite for you as well.

You may ask, “What is family church?” Family Church is an exciting and interactive time of learning. This time Pastor Sherilyn O'Ffill the Potomac Conference Pathfinder and Adventurer Director is joining us. She invites you to join her in making indoor snow as we learn about forgiveness in Isaiah 1:18. Embark on this adventure Sabbath morning at 11:30am. Please dress casual. We will be moving and doing experiments, and I want you to be comfortable. So please choose jeans over suits.

To this service bring with you your creativity and sense of adventure. Molly is practicing her snowflake making skills in preparation for our prayer time. And Owen is putting on his scientist hat to help with that snow experiment. So invite your family of all ages to join my family in this learning experience.

The multi-purpose space is set up with tables and chairs, the snowflake making ingredients are in their kits, and the snow making experiment is ready to go! All it needs is you and your spirit of adventure for learning about forgiveness. Each family church teaches me something new as I watch my church family experience the learning exercises together and I want each of you to be a part of it.

Invitation to Communion

Let these words ring inside your mind and bring back memories. Focus on the familiar words of this scripture for a few minutes. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17

The words that I read over and over is the phrase, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world.” I need that reassurance and reminder that even when I falter and sin, there is still hope.

In the communion service we remember what it took for Jesus to extend this hope to us. For this hope to be given it took His death. Christ’s body was broken, His blood was spilled. And each time that we gather to partake of communion together we remember Him.

I invite you to prepare your heart to partake of the emblems of this service. To spend time talking to God about where you need his forgiveness, and where you have received forgiveness and hope. Prepare to take the bread and the grape juice as reminders of a Savior who died. Then in turn recommit your life to serving Him and Him alone.

Social Justice

The phrase strikes fear to my heart, because where do you begin? Social justice is standing up for the weak when they cannot stand up for themselves. But how do we address a world with so many problems? Turn one way and you see the refugees of Allepo. Look another way and trafficking victims demand release and justice. And yet there is more, from discrimination to treating humans as commodities, the unfair treatment demands confrontation.

It all begins with the value God places on humans in Genesis chapter one. He spends time creating the perfect world for his people. These people are to be his friends and companions. And simply because of their creation in the image of God, they have value.

At creation God breathes into this being the breath of life and he becomes a living soul. A soul with value, with dignity, not because of what he can do but because of who he is. Each human being still retains this value placed on them by the Creator.

This is social justice, to step in and fight for justice for all humans based on the value and dignity that God bestows on life. The value God places on the unborn, on the elderly. The value He sees in those with special needs, those displaced immigrants. On the trafficked and undervalued. We are to see in each of these people the value God puts on them.

When we recognize that intrinsic value the horror comes people are put down and their rights violated. Inside our heart is the tug to make a difference. I don’t claim to know all the answers, but I invite you to wrestle with this topic with me. Come on Sabbath morning to Journey with Jesus as we tackle the difficult topic of social justice.

God First

I remember the huge transition from full-time work to student labor upon returning to school to pursue my master’s degree. More specifically, the transition from a full paycheck to a piece of it. The conference I worked for felt it best I become fully trained for my calling, and I agreed. From a balanced budget with allotments for savings and discretionary income, I went to living off of $804 a month. With a rent payment of $350, you can start picturing what my life looked like to cover utilities, a car payment, and food. Not to mention a new coat with the move from Texas to Michigan. The temptation came to shorten God’s piece. On paper it just didn’t work, and so I gave in to the temptation. However, the month that I took courage and challenged God to stretch what was left because I wanted Him first, strange things happened. I remember a tube of toothpaste that seemed to keep producing. Simple things like the milk lasting longer in the fridge and a roll of toilet paper that seemed to keep unwinding. All these little things with no explanation but God’s blessings.

As you put God first in your finances, see what He will do for you. Step up into this calling to be a steward of your time, talents, and financial resources. Dare to risk returning to God first, and see what He will do to show His faithfulness.

As Christians we are in charge of His possessions. We are his stewards. When we recognize the source of all we have, our things come into the right focus. Suddenly our resources become tools to further His mission, not to horde for our own selfish purposes. We must employ our time, talent and resources for God’s work rather than to enrich our own life.

Elements of the Journey with Jesus

Praying the scriptures is a gentle devotional practice, where you slowly read the scriptures, waiting for the Word of God to comfort you in your situation. The scripture could gently nudge you forward after His calling or shift your heart into a deeper commitment to your Savior. This happens softly—as the still small voice speaks through the scriptures. This is relationship with God; time with Him is what changes us.

Start with a passage of encouragement for your relationship with God, like Ephesians 2:8-10. Perhaps you could use the passage from your devotional book or the memory verse you are preparing for Sabbath school to focus on.

Sometimes this affirmation comes through a phrase in the heart of your chosen scripture that speaks to your heart. It could be a reminder from 1 John 1:9 that God forgives and, even more, He cleanses. Maybe that phrase standing out will allow you to let go of the guilt for your past action and move forward in your life. Perhaps it is a word of challenge from James 2, that faith without works is dead. Perhaps this phrase pushes you to commit to your church family through service as a deacon or Sabbath School teacher. The goal is to be with God and let him lead your life through His scriptures.

Do not expect lightning to flash or the earth to shake. Expect the still, small voice of God reminding you He is here as you read. The experience itself is not life changing, but the God you seek is. Your goal is to immerse yourself in a scripture, pray it to God, and be present with your Lord.

Pray the Scriptures

This part of the Journey with Jesus allows the Bible to soak into your life as you pray the words of the scripture. Choose a passage and let it live in your life. The book of Psalms is full of encouragement, so they are a ready place to begin.

A precious passage in Psalm 121 begins with, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From when comes my help? My helps comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Read the words of the passage very slowly, one phrase at a time. Keep your heart attentive to God’s message for your life. When I spend time with this spiritual practice, I hear the word of God applied and living. Reading through a passage seeking to see God’s presence in your life lets these scriptures apply to your situation.

For example, when I read Psalm 121, seeking to pray the scriptures, my heart landed on verse 4. It says, “Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” During my time in ministry several concerns in my church kept me up late worrying. How would these seemly insurmountable obstacles be conquered? Opening my Bible, I started reading slowly through Psalm 121 and this verse struck me. No need to stay up late worrying over these things when God was already up. Why try to brain storm or plan my way through this problem? What I really needed to do was rest and let God stay up through the night working on these challenges. As this realization dawned, I wrote in the margins of my Bible, “I can sleep, because He does not.” After a time of talking over the situation with God, I was ready to rest. With this done I closed my Bible and turned out the light, trusting God to handle this problem like He had so many others.

Where to Begin?

Have you ever wondered where to start? You want to study the Bible, you truly do, but you’re not sure what verse to start with. Perhaps you listened intently on Sabbath as we looked through the power of Bible study. Then you felt a tug on your heart to add Bible study to your Journey with Jesus, and came up short with where to start.

Sometimes the starting point is the hardest part of doing a word study, or memorizing a verse, or conducting a verse comparison, or engaging in a topical study, or even articulating your personal beliefs. So here is my professional advice, just start.

Inspiration for a starting point for Bible study comes from many locations. Maybe your friend texted you a favorite Bible verse. Start there, look at the key word in the treasured text and start looking. How about when a favorite Bible reading app popped up a promise text for the day, choose to memorize it. There is inspiration all around us. From a billboard that quotes a text, to your Sabbath school lesson app, or even a foot note in a book you are reading. I even found inspiration on Facebook from a misquoted scripture. It leads me to dig deeper into that scripture’s true meaning.

The goal of Bible study is to Journey with Jesus, to know your Savior. By choosing one verse over another is to begin. Just begin by opening the precious words of the Holy Scripture and spending time reading them with their author.

Response Time

When did you first meet Jesus? Maybe a specific moment comes to your memory as you read that question. That moment of realization where he became a person instead of an abstract concept. Think for a minute about the details.

Step into that memory in your mind and recall your response. When you realized that Jesus is real, that he truly exists, how did you respond? Recall what it was like to peak into the unknown and realize Jesus’ presence and personhood.

For me that moment was a shift. It caused a change in perspective from a distant character of laws, to a feeling of being infinitely valued. My heart felt so pulled to this Savior. It awoke a deep curiosity to know Him more deeply.

As we begin the Journey with Jesus series, I invite you to bring that wonder and curiosity with you. Take these seven weeks as an opportunity to build on that initial realization and deepen your walk with Jesus.

Testimony Time

This Sabbath is my opportunity to share with you about my identity as a Christian, to share my story. I grew up in a double pastor’s family, and regularly heard stories from my parents about their love for Christ. I even caught my mother sitting on the couch with her Bible open reading letters from her friend Jesus. They both modeled to me what it looks like to be a growing disciple of Christ.

And yet this was not enough. There came a time when I had to decide if He was my Savior, or just theirs. Was He a God I heard stories about, or a God I knew in a personal way. As I wrestled with these questions a verse often came to mind, Psalm 34:7-8. “For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!”

I took up the challenge issued here to taste and see that the Lord is good. In the looking I found a God who loved me enough to send His son to die in my place, and I found a Savior I committed my life to.

What is your story? Tell me the story of a living, resurrected Savior. Tell me the story of how you encounter and know Him. Tell me your stories and I want to hear it and watch your eyes sparkle as you describe your Jesus.

A Renewed Commitment

How did your day start this morning? Was it a shrill of an alarm clock ripping you from a peaceful dream? Maybe the tiny fingers of a child grabbing the covers to hoist themselves up for a snuggle. Did it start a gentle nudge on your heart to start your day by talking to God and recommit to him?

An anonymous author started their morning conversation with God like this:

Dear Lord,
So far I've done all right.
I haven't gossiped,
haven't lost my temper,
haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or overindulgent.
I'm really glad about that.

But in a few minutes, God,
I'm going to get out of bed.
And from then on,
I'm going to need a lot more help.

I have a daily dependence on God. From the moment my feet hit the floor, to my head hits the pillow at the close of the day, I need His help. This is a vital relationship. How about you? How are you and God getting along?

I invite you at this moment to talk with God and give yourself a little checkup. Did you choose to depend on Him today? Did you let Him slip down your priority list? When you are aware of where your relationship with God is at, spend a few minutes recommitting your life to your Savior. Talk about any issues that are keeping him at arm’s length. Rest in the knowledge of John 3:16-17, "For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him."

Prepare for Sabbath

Start preparing for Sabbath today. This Sabbath, worship from the overflow of your experience with God. Set aside ample time to revel in the goodness of God. Sit back and read His precious word as an encouragement. Let His promises seep into the places of your heart that need their calming salve.

Instead of coming to Sabbath like a camel to an oasis, come in the glow of a strong relationship with God. The church service isn’t a gas station to prepare us for the upcoming week. We do not arrive hoping to soak up enough of God’s word to carry us through the rest of the week, and then to skid weakly into the following Sabbath. We come to praise corporately the God we spent time with all week long.

Sabbath is the culmination of a week with God. This is the very God who spoke the world into existence. The same God who sent His son to die for your salvation. And He wants to talk to you every day. Take Him up on this invitation. Start with a reading of a favorite passage in the Bible. Perhaps Psalm 121 that reminds you to look up to your God in times of need. Perhaps you need the reminder of God the comforter in Isaiah 40. Then spend time in prayer making requests, or praising Him for His goodness. This preparation will make Sabbath what it is intended to be in our lives.

Worship Through Service

Worship is a many faceted experience. It includes quiet reflection, adoration, and praise. But the end result of true worship is action. This week put actions to your worship. Take your heart of worship and choose to serve at your local church during the Sabbath hours.

In choosing where to serve, start with a few questions. What gifts did God entrust you with? What can you do to serve your church? Maybe you are trustworthy and arrive early. Contact the deacon on duty and offer to assist in their work of opening the church facility and making it ready for guests and church members. Did you walk into the bathroom only to find a tower of towels tumbled across the counter? Pause and pick them up. Make the space welcoming to others who will come to worship God today. Talk with God while you serve. Remember He is why you choose to perform these simple tasks. 

There are so many details that need to be in order on Sabbath morning and we take them for granted that these details just happen. We fail to recognize the hours of work it takes to create this atmosphere. What can you do to be a part of creating the welcoming space that greets our guests?

As you serve, enter into this experience with the attitude of worship to God. Your service facilitates others’ time at church. As you worship through service, it creates a space for others to connect with God.

How will you choose to worship in service this week?

A Week in Lodi, California

Last week’s whirlwind that is my life centered around Lodi Academy. It was my privilege to join this high school for a week of prayer. Each morning we sang praises together, I shared from the book of Daniel and ended with a circle of prayer. In between sessions I visited classes, took questions from students, and found local adventures with my family. (We even managed to meet up with Joe and Darleyne in San Francisco, and Luis and Olga’s family for a trip to Elmshaven. Check FaceBook for pictures!)

While I return home tired and doubly thankful for my own bed and church family, this week of prayer was a time of recommitment to my relationship with Christ. Chaplain Janeen invited the students to write anonymous questions for me to answer. And their deep thoughts encouraged and at times challenged me. Questions like, “I asked God for a big thing and he didn’t answer, what do I do now?” To, “Is the God of the Old Testament the same as the God in the New Testament?” To things as simple as, “When did you first experience God’s presence?”

With each new question I prayed that my answering words could draw the asker closer to the God I love. At times I admitted I didn’t have all the answers, and at other times I shared my answer based on the Bible and my experience as a Christian. What questions in your life draw you to a deeper walk with Christ? Share them when we see each other on Sabbath!

The Rock or the Candy?

I did an experiment with a group of willing individuals. Each was hand a rock and a piece of candy and we went on a walk together. We put the rock in our shoe and the candy in our mouths. After a while we sat down to discuss our experience. The first evaluation was, that took a while. Then followed concerns about the wearing of the rock against a foot. Others chimed in with agreement. Though we took a few minutes to explore and discuss our experience, the theme remained the same. No one mentioned the sweetness of the candy that melted on our tongues.

Why is it that it is so much easier to focus on the rough edges, the inconveniences and the trouble? It seems that it is easier to point out the problems, then to come up with a solution. First comes the litany of challenges, only later the accomplishment. But what of the joy of the journey? Solutions do not always come quickly. Reaching God given goals do not come at microwave speed, it requires time and commitment.

We are called as Christians to follow Jesus and share his love. This doesn’t happen in a moment, but in a daily journey after our Savior. We are called to share His love with our community. This is a God-sized task. There will be troubles on the way. On this journey will we choose to focus on the rock in our shoe or the sweetness of God’s presence?

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

The Walls Fall

It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down. Hebrews 11:30

Imagine yourself part of the fighting men called to march around Jericho. Pretend in your mind that you are rallied up to speak to your commander in chief, Joshua, leader of Israel. As he details the actions that will lead up to the capture of Jericho, would your eyebrows raise? what would your response be to the news that you are to march around the city in utter silence?

This seems a strange sort of way to accomplish a siege. Modern warfare, or even the warfare methods in the past do not apply here. Instead, this is a group of fighting men leading seven priests followed by the Ark of the Covenant, and then trailed by more fighting men.

So if your eyebrows raise, you are in good company. But because of their trust they choose to follow these instructions. Each day for six days they rise early, assemble their parade, and march around the city once. Then on the seventh day the circuits continue to the count of seven. But then the sound of a rams horn trumpet pierces the air. Then Joshua’s command, “Shout! For the Lord has given you this town!” Voice raise, shouting as loud as they can. And the amazing thing is not the command or the shouting, it is the walls falling flat. Now the military fortress that was Jericho is laid bare and the fighting men race straight into the city.

The book of Hebrews tells us all of this happened because of faith. The walls fell flat because of faith in a God who is able to knock down walls. This same God who could knock down heavily fortified walls, is the same God who lives today. It is the same God who can knock down the walls that stand in the way of you accomplishing what He has called you to do.

Why Social Justice?

The Biblical mandate comes for social justice in these words: “Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.” Isaiah 1:17

If these words sound familiar, but the scripture reference sounds out of place, it is because this idea is reflected in multiple places in scripture. This is a Biblical mandate to do good, to engage in social justice issues. The call comes based on the infinite value God places on life. The reality that Christ would’ve died even if only you repented, also applies to your neighbor.

We are to step in and fight for social justice issues based on the human value and dignity that God bestows. The value God places on the unborn, on the elderly. The value He sees in those with special needs, those displaced immigrants. The love lavished from our God on the trafficked, marginalized and undervalued.

I ask with Ann Voskamp in her book The Broken Way. “Why do we rush to defend God to a broken world, and not race to defend the image of God in the world’s broken?” This is not an area that comes easily to me. I could, as could you, repeat many stories of where my choice to be involved in social justice ended in pain. Jesus himself reach out to the broken and it ended in pain, and death on our behalf. And yet the call comes to be involved, to not let that pain be the last chapter in the story.

But even agreeing that we must be involved, the question comes “How?” I can tell you it is much easier to write a check to an organization than to get up close and personal. To salve the conscience pricks that come as a result of news stories covering Aleppo, or the staggering statistics of humans that are trafficked for labor or for sex. We are tempted to stay at arms length, to salve the conscience jabs with a dollar sign and a stamp. I am completely convinced in my heart that we must engage in social justice, yet it often gets messy. How should engaging social justice look? What is the appropriate manner to get involved?

Does it look like the early days of our church’s history and Sarepta Miranda Henry? This is the lady we credit with founding women’s ministry. Her way of addressing the evils of alcohol was a pray in at the local bar. The women showed up and loudly prayed until the owner agreed to close.

Is it softer and gentler like the church that visits a home for severely developmentally challenged children to brush their hair and hold their hand? These children don’t even know they are there, cannot communicate in words. And yet this church goes daily to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Is it joining with the six year old boy who penned a letter to the president inviting the shell shocked Syrian boy Omran to live with him? Alex wrote: "Can you please go get him and bring him to [my home]?" he said in the handwritten note. "We will give him a family and he will be our brother."

People shout to close our borders and to lock the gates. And yet immigrants are who we are. We are all ethnic. We as the church don’t do ministry to those dependent on us like benevolent Santas. Rather we learn from these marginalized people, and our hearts begin to beat more like our Savior’s. “The church isn’t white or American. The church is headed by a middle eastern Jewish man who never spoke a word of English.” Russell Moore, Onward: Engaging the Culture without Losing the Gospel.

It is so painful to wrestle with how to engage, because by choosing one place to step in, we are saying no to others. Our hearts break to know that because we dedicate our resources to immigrant connections, that we will not have the resources to help unwed mothers. But I invite you to engage in this prayerful wrestling. In invite you to sit down to ask questions and listen to the Holy Spirit. To formulate a plan that is as unique as the gifts God gave you. And in this wrestling to know what it looks like to follow the invitation of Isaiah 1:17 “Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.”

Forgiveness

Remember forgiveness today. The forgiveness God gives you.

In Luke 18 a Pharisee and a tax collector head to the temple to pray. The Pharisee stands in a prominent place of the temple, as close to the holy of holies as he can get, and proceeds to pray. His prayer volume is barely short of a shout. The words he says are recorded for us, “‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.”

This Pharisee has it together. He isn’t in the list of people who won’t make heaven, cheaters, sinners or adulterers. Instead of fasting once a year, this Pharisees amps it up and fasts twice a week. He even returns his tithes. But he feels his goods works will gain him entrance to heaven.

In the shadow of the corner is a tax collector. A man who is in the same category as those the Pharisee is thankful he is not a part of. This tax collector who makes his living by cheating people is praying to God. His words are simple, “O God be merciful to me a sinner.” He sees that he is utterly unworthy of heaven, and pleads to God to do whatever it takes to justify him. He recognizes he can do nothing of himself. And so he admits his complete dependence and need.

Pray today as did the publican in Luke 18, “O God be merciful to me a sinner.” Recognize that there is nothing you can do to earn this salvation. You will not be allowed into heaven because your good works outweigh the bad. The only chance of heaven you have is your Savior’s death. It is based on this knowledge that the publican returned home justified before God. This is also the basis of our justification. Will you recognize this in your prayer today?

Name Them One by One

A friend shared with me one of her regular spiritual practices, taking time to count her blessings. I realized as I talked over my life and concerns with God, that counting my blessings is just what I need. I started following in her example, naming my blessings and thanking God for them. When I’m driving down the road, feeling the stress of the situation ahead, I begin to list blessings. This simple practice of naming blessings sets my heart in the right tune. Sometimes the blessing is as simple the fresh air wafting through my window. Other times it is a dramatic healing in answer to prayer.

Even though it seems that setbacks come my family’s direction, there are still many blessings that remain. This spiritual practice helps me to remember the things that are going right. So today as I sit with my heart open to God during my devotional time, I will begin by whispering thanks for three of my blessings. Next I will move to the scripture in 1 Chronicles 16:34, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.” Then I will talk with the God who is the author of each of these blessings. I invite each of you to spend time with this spiritual practice. Make time to remember the good things in your life. Will you join me today in this spiritual practice?

God in the Midst

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” 2 Timothy 3:16

The Bible contains amazingly dense passages, pieces of scripture that cause us to pause and ask questions. Eyebrows raise and we wonder what stories like Jael and Ehud can teach us about God and this world. It seems that these stories are a mess, and difficult, and just plain strange. We are tempted to trip quickly over these passages in our reading of the Word. To leave them behind in favor of more cheerful and comfortable places. Yet these very passages are an invitation to wrestle with the Word, and prayerfully unearth the treasures within.

We as Seventh-day Adventists believe in sola scriptura. Literally translated this Latin phrase means, by scripture alone. It describes our belief that the highest authority in all matters of doctrine and practice is the Bible. We govern our lives by what we read in the Holy Scriptures, and we adjust our practices to line up with what we find.

We as Seventh-day Adventists also believe in tota scriptura. This means we embrace the whole Biblical canon, all sixty-six books, from start to finish. We can’t pick and choose the passages we are more comfortable with, and toss aside those that make us itch.

These two beliefs together call us to deep Bible study. It calls us to hold up the scriptures as a ruler for life. It also calls us to understand a topic deeply and broadly as we apply it. Rather than basing a belief on a single line in the scriptures, we choose to explore, read, pray and analyze so our actions are based on a firm foundation.

Combine these two beliefs as you do your Bible reading. Next time as you read along and are confronted with the judgement on Ananias and Sapphira or the terror of Tamar’s situation don’t turn away. Instead read through it, ask yourself, “What does this passage teach me about God?” You may not find a new favorite bedtime story, but you might just find a new assurance of God’s presence in a messy world.

Where is the Pastor?

I write to you from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I’m here with one hundred and sixty fellow clergy and chaplains. All of them ladies. This is the fourth such retreat I have been blessed to attend during my seventeen years as a pastor. And while the attendee number may sound small to you, to me I see growth in those numbers. It warms my heart to see so many following God’s call to serve His church.

In the scripture we note that when the disciples felt challenged, criticized and the weight of ministry, Jesus encouraged them to come apart and rest awhile. To serve as a pastor is truly a privilege, and I love this calling God laid on my life. And in that calling, it is the time with God that restores my soul and gives the strength to do His bidding.

Based on Isaiah 40:31, the goal for this retreat is to renew our strength so that we can continue to run and not grow weary, to walk and not to faint. This retreat provided just that. From Chris Oberg who encouraged us from the book of Esther to use the opportunities wisely when we are called for such a time as this. Then joining in a service project to pack 10,000 meals in less than two hours. (Check my FaceBook of pictures of this amazing event!) To hearing Elizabeth Talbot inspire us to dig deeper into the scriptures through a refreshing and new walk through the parable of the Good Samaritan.

I will joyfully return to preach at Williamsburg this Sabbath. This will be an opportunity to share the overflow from this time of reconnecting and recharging. In preparation for that day together I invite you to also find a few minutes for a brief retreat with God. During that time focus on Isaiah 40:31 and these precious words, “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”