How hard can it be? Dear friends- Sometimes, God wraps warm arms around us and eases the chill of life. Sometimes God sits us down to a table of comfort food that eases our gnawing hunger. Sometimes a softly scented tissue to wipe away the cold tears of sorrow or loss. Sometimes a time of quiet prayer and presence that restores our souls… Then, sometimes, we are offered something far more difficult – a spiritual curve ball, if you will. Luke tells us that Jesus speaks to the crowd and says that, if they want to be his disciples, they must : a) hate their families; b) pick up a cross and follow him; c) give up all their possessions. Yikes; why would anyone sign up for this? (I’ve always thought this would be a good place to start a conversation with someone who says he/she takes the Bible literally.) The spiritual marketplace has many offerings: ancient traditions; new-age spiritual disciplines; countless sects, denominations, and the like; do-it-yourself spiritual projects aimed at self-fulfillment; and on and on… So many choices… We like choices; we can always change brands if one doesn’t suit us.. The most enduring spiritual traditions have many things in common; one of which is that they don’t claim to be easy. Simple, maybe, but not easy. Today, Christ challenges us directly – not to look for self-fulfillment as we normally understand it, but for genuine transformation. Transformation of both self and the world itself. This is worth talking about; it’s not easy. It’s best done in company with other worshippers. And there is “blessed assurance” in doing this. Please join us as we worship, sing, pray, ask questions, and find new strength in God’s presence and in each other. We worship at 10 AM. Every Sunday. Join us also following worship today for refreshments, coffee and warm fellowship following worship service. We would love to spend the morning together… Sabbath blessings- AFP
Posted on: Sun, 08 Sep 2013 10:06:28 +0000
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