In A Nutshell — November 2017
November brings the opportunity to enjoy autumn breezes, falling leaves and leftover Halloween candy in the grocery store. By now, school is well underway, we are pulling out our winter clothing and thinking about buying a turkey. Halloween is past, Thanksgiving is on the way and then seemingly on its heels, Christmas. If you are Methodist, you start thinking about Charge Conference and End of Years Reports. There’s a lot of meeting, planning and strategizing. Before we begin the end of year whirlwind, I ask you to think about something. I want you to think about prayer. As my friend Shane Raynor pointed out in a recent online article for most of us, our prayer life “stinks” (his word, not mine!) Shane goes on to say: “Remember the TV series Alias? Before...
Morning Prayer — Psalm 142 (Traditional)
Psalm 142 (143) A prayer in time of trouble In the morning let me know your love, O Lord. Lord, listen to my prayer: in your faithfulness turn your ear to my pleading; in your justice, hear me. Do not judge your servant: nothing that lives can justify itself before you. The enemy has hounded my spirit, he has crushed my life to the ground, he has shut me in darkness, like the dead of long ago. So my spirit trembles within me, my heart turns to stone. I remind myself of the days of old, I reflect on all your works, I meditate once more on the work of your hands. I stretch out my arms to you, I stretch out my soul, like a land without water. Come quickly and hear me, O Lord, for my spirit is weakening. Do not hide your face from me, do not let...
Six Items to Include in Your Guest Welcome Packet – ThomRainer.com
Whether you mail your guest packet or give it out on Sunday, here are six items to be sure to include: Source: Six Items to Include in Your Guest Welcome Packet – ThomRainer.com
What does it mean to be the church?
What does it mean to be the church? Some people might think immediately of a building, the property on which the building sits or just the sanctuary. Not a bad answer and one you would get from the dictionary, but based on the Bible, the church isn’t our property or building. We can get a clue of what church is and is meant to be by looking at Acts 2:42-47: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the...