From the Pastor

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"I pray that, according the riches of his glory, God may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through the Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts, through faith, as you are rooted and grounded in love"
(Ephesians 3: 16-17)

Rooted & Grounded In Love

As Mother's Day approaches, I have this mental picture ( which is also preserved for future generations on 8mm film) of my mother in the early 1970's.  She is dressed, ready to leave for church on Mother's Day, and she is more "decorated" than usual.  Mom is wearing four corsages of various kinds.  One, professionally made, that Dad gave her and three others her kids made for her at school or elsewhere.

I remember, years later, seeing this movie and still recognizing the one I had made for her and knowing that she really had to love me because it was kind of crooked and smashed.  In fact I think it was about as ugly as a bowling shoe!  Yet she wore it because she knew it was given in love.

It occurs to me that there are many things in our lives that we see in an entirely different light because, imperfect as they may be by most standards, they are done out of love.  In our most difficult times, the knowledge that we are loved and supported grants us the very confidence we need to face these times.

Paul wrote the words we see above to a church that not only was having difficulty facing a world hostile to the Gospel, but also believers that had difficulty accepting the fact that through our Savior they were truly one body.  There were many things that they were finding to separate this family of believers.  So, he challenged them to begin their journey together by being rooted and grounded in love.  It couldn't be clearer than that!

May God bless each of us as we are in ministry together, defined by this love.

Joined through Christ's love,
Randy