Announcements
Job
Opening--
If
you're interested in being a breakfast host at Homewood Suites,
they're hiring for a few positions.
Potluck!--
This
Sunday
Community
Kitchen Spot
There
are a lot of hungry and homeless children of God and the community
needs some help feeding them. If you would like to help out, please
bring the following items to church this Sunday & put them on the
bookshelf.
Plastic
Forks, Knives, Spoons
Dinner
Napkins
Heavy
Duty Sectional Dinner Plates
Dessert
Plates
New
Hope News
Sunday
School—We
start Matthew 12
this coming Sunday.
Fruit
of the Spirit--
Sunday evenings @ 6:15
Wednesday
Suppers—Bring
your supper and join us at 6, or come to study 1 Samuel (we'll be in
chapter 27 next week) at 6:30.
Pray
For:
Norma
Capone, Christine
Dyer
Our
Presbytery meeting on Saturday
For
all those in the path of the storms tonight. Pray for safety, and in
the midst of frightened chaos, may we reach for the hand of God only
to recognize that we are already there.
Links
Keith's
Random Thoughts
I've been watching the
Olympics lately, and there are so many moments when I stop and think,
“I could never do that and walk away.”
Women's figure skating
was on last night, and I'm watching a woman jump around on a blade
1/8” thick, and then when she's done doing that, she reaches up
behind her, where her leg is, and grabs the skate's blade while
spinning in circles. If I tried to do that, I'd fall flat on my
face, tear every muscle in my groin and slice my hand open on the
skate. The Russian judge would not score that well.
Giant Slalom? I'd make
the first two gates, hit the third one with my face, then tumble
forward down the rest of the hill, forcing spectators to flee for
their lives while a giant snowball with skis sticking out destroyed
everything in its path.
Luge? Ha!
I could go on. Curling
is about the only sport I could do well in. Bobsled brakeman is
probably within my reach. Rachel and I were joking about what we
might look like doing pairs figure skating... Sure, I'll just
throw you six feet in the air while you're spinning in circles, catch
you gracefully and set you on your feet, all the while gliding around
on ice.
The problem is that it's
all too easy to do this with my spiritual life as well. I look at
others who have it all sorted together and see their dedication and
discipline to the devotional life and I am alternatively jealous and
harsh toward myself. I think it comes to easily to them, and I don't
believe that I could ever achieve such a disciplined life.
Of course, I skip the
part where they have spent years crafting their lives, and it wasn't
easy for them. They had to fight against resistance at every turn,
constantly refocusing their efforts, until eventually their work paid
off. Not that they can just relax now, but their work has turned
devotions into a life-giving thing, and they return to it time and
time again because it is such a foundational part of their life now.
The Olympic athletes
have done the same. Luge doesn't come naturally the first time. No
one did a triple axle (I have NO idea what the difference is between
the different figure skating jumps. They all look similarly hard to
my untrained eye) the first time they put on skates. No one skies
the giant slalom after graduating from the bunny hill. It takes hard
work and countless hours. They make it look effortless by all the
effort they have invested.
So may we be patient
with ourselves, and may we take the long-term view with our feeble
beginner efforts, trusting in the Holy Spirit to lead us deeper.
Text
for this Tuesday, December 24
Acts
6:8-7:60
(ESV)
New
Hope on iTunes
Keith's
Blog
& Devotionals
for your Kindle
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