Announcements
Potluck!!!—This
Sunday!
Playground—The
playground should be finished! Unfortunately, it will not be
playable until Tuesday, after it is inspected. Make plans to come
play!
Chili
Cook-off—Thanks to everyone for braving the cold!
Congratulations to Marilyn Suber, our chili cook-off champion!
New
Hope News
Sunday
School—This Sunday, the adult class will study the
Synoptic Gospels.
Pray
For:
All
those dealing with the flu
JoAn
Wright, as she recovers from shoulder surgery.
Pray
for those who do not know Christ.
Links
Keith's
Random Thoughts
Many of you probably know that I have struggled with anxieties for
the last 8 years. It's been a tough slog, and I recently started to
see a new therapist in the hope that I can put this particular
struggle to bed.
One of the things we were talking about was my struggles with
accepting God's unconditional love. I love to talk about it, and
throughout Scripture I see a witness of a God who pours his love out
upon his people whether or not they deserve it. Somehow, the Devil
worms its way into the human heart and convinces us that while God
can love everyone else without condition, when it comes to ourselves,
we often believe that due to our unworthiness, we are beyond the
reach of God. It is absurd to write, and even more absurd to
believe, and yet somehow I manage to stress myself out over this.
What my therapist mentioned is that after a certain amount of time
believing this, it becomes an idol that I worship. Rather than
trusting the God who reveals himself in Scripture, I have made God in
my own image... And anyone who has read a page of the Bible can say
that is wrong. It would be far wiser to trust God and his grace, and
allow myself to shape my behavior based on this love, rather than try
and mold my life to earn his love, a futile thought.
So I continue to struggle, but
perhaps I can begin to struggle to accept God's love, rather than
earn it, and my anxieties can be seen for the lies that are and the
struggles they create.
Text
for this Sunday
Nehemiah
8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
All the people gathered together into the square before the Water
Gate. They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of
Moses, which the Lord had given to Israel. Accordingly, the priest
Ezra brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all
who could hear with understanding. This was on the first day of the
seventh month. He read from it facing the square before the Water
Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and
the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the
people were attentive to the book of the law.
And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was
standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people
stood up. Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the
people answered, ‘Amen, Amen’, lifting up their hands. Then they
bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the
ground. So they read from the book, from the law of God, with
interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood
the reading.
And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe,
and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, ‘This
day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.’ For all
the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Then he said to
them, ‘Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send
portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day
is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord
is your strength.’
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