John
3:14-16 –
And
as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man
be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
eternal life.
For
God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Romans
8:35-39 –
Who
shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or
persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
As
it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as
sheep for the slaughter.
Nay,
in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
For
I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor
any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We
stopped first to hear a cantata in which our son-in-law was singing and then
were led to this church. We were early and a woman greeted us and offered a
number of options, including coffee. We opted for a self-guided tour and the coffee.
The
Sunday school/social area was bright and cheerful and I noticed a lot of
welcoming things about the kitchen area.
Two
Marines and a Marine Mom stopped to chat and others introduced themselves
before and after the service.
I
noticed a cross in a high porthole window and when I turned to chat with one of
those welcoming us I saw a large rustic cross on the rear wall. The windows
were plain opaque glass with a cobalt blue surrounding strip; overall a warm
feeling.
I was
pleased there is a lot of emphasis on prayer, updates were given, and a prayer
sheet was circulated through the congregation. When it was time to commission
the next family going on a mission trip the offer was made for those who wanted
to come forward for prayers to come up. I wish I would have realized that I
might have been welcome to join them in prayer. I was sorry to have missed the
opportunity but prayed for them and the church from the pew. Nevertheless I was
happy to see the prayer ministry of this church and to hear of their mission
involvement.
There
was some Scripture quoted on the bulletin/newsletter handout but I don’t think
it was in regard to the service.
The
message seemed to be about God’s great love for us. I did miss some of it when
there were people talking in the narthex. The pastor had a passion in his preaching
and quoted numerous Scriptures.
I
had a realization today that church congregations are fed in many ways; coming
from a Presbyterian heritage I think I was narrow in my understanding of this. I
have known some pastors whose spouses were the ones with the strong ministry,
and likewise many who are nurtured by the songs or prayers or other aspects of
the worship service. While we might tend to be judgmental and not realize how
God can use any part of worship to get His message to believers. Looking back
and remembering some of the most Spirit-filled moments I’ve had, they were not
in church but happened outside the sanctuary, such as prayers in the parking
lot.
The
care and attention showed at this well-kept church tucked back off the main
road.
From
the time we walked in, numerous people greeted us warmly, including several of
Bob’s Marine brothers. It’s always a joy to encounter members of the Marine
Corps family. While Bob talked with the men, I had the privilege of chatting
with a woman who is the daughter of a Marine as well as the mother of one. I
wished we had more time to talk, partly because of our shared Marine family
connection, but also because she was one of those people who exuded joy. I have
met a few people like that over the years, and their faces are indelibly imprinted
in my mind. She is now there also, and I’m very grateful for our conversation.
This
church calls themselves a “House of Prayer” and much prayer was accomplished
this morning. Mission seems to be another core value, and this morning a fair
amount of time was spent praying over a family that will leave this week on a
mission trip to the Dominican Republic.
The
untitled message was a reminder of God’s love for all His people, not just the
saved. It was a call to believe and share God’s love with those who do not know
Him, wherever they may be.
The
Romans passage that was read is one of my favorites, and every time I hear it I
think of Bible teacher Beth Moore’s comment regarding verse 37 about being “more
than conquerors.” She says, “How can we be ‘more than conquerors’ unless we
have something to conquer?” Remembering this truth has helped me more than a
few times, and always makes me smile.
Lord, we pray You will continue to guide and encourage this congregation’s mission involvement and that they would always remember the importance of their prayer ministry. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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