06/13/2019
One of our members, a veterinarian, shared with me on Sunday that a nail salon next to her veterinary practice caught fire and burned. She received the emergency call while the fire burned in the salon next door to her practice where pets were boarded. All of the pets were retrieved safely but the nail salon has a board covering the doorway…do not enter. The fire had done its damage.
This last Sunday we celebrated Pentecost which is the birthday of the church. We are reminded each year of the Scriptures in the Book of Acts that describe flames of fire that rested upon the heads of those present as the Holy Spirit descended to dwell within each of them. As thousands were baptized that day, the church was birthed. When I hear this story, I also often think about the time in the life of Moses when a flame came into a burning bush. In both Biblical situations the fire did not consume the persons but instead came to dwell and to be a source of life...not death. The fire did not consume or damage. The fire came to bring life for Moses to move forward in ministry as God was calling him.
God’s church, baptized by the Holy Spirit, is alive in the world today. Who's the church? We are the church. The flame is lit but it needs us to flame the fire so that the fire of the gospel is shared and spread.
We have two mission teams serving this week away from Carmel. One in Frakes, Kentucky and the other in Nashville, Tennessee. My prayer for them is for safety but also that they may be on fire for God and that that flame may spread to all they meet. Each of us in our daily lives has the opportunity to live on fire because of the flame of the Holy Spirit, which is alive in each of us. Think today...how may you spread the fire of God’s love where you are…
Blessings today and always, Pastor Patti
Archived Posts
What just missed the cut for Sunday’s Sermon
Naaman’s servants may actually become one of the hidden gems of the sermon. They say, essentially: “If the prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would have done it.”
One of the Longest Benedictions I Ran Out of Time to Share
Maybe you know the story of how Joseph and Mary accidentally left Jesus at the gas station on their way home from Jerusalem. Well, not the gas station bathroom in Jesus’ case. Joe and Mary are far down the road before they realize Jesus isn’t with them...
So many quips and quotes...
So little time to preach
I wonder what Mary and Martha’s phones might look like:
* Martha = the open browser with 27 tabs
* Mary = the single window that matters
* Psalm 46 = God saying, “Close the tabs.”
Quotable Outtakes That Didn’t Make the Sermon This Week
“When you try to control everything, you don’t just exhaust yourself—you quietly replace trust in God with trust in you.” & more
There is a challenge when it comes to preaching the Word of God.
Preachers are called to open up and interpret the word—inspired and written down thousands of years ago—and make it relevant to a very different world. On top of that there’s a degree of persuasion that goes along with the process.
What Jessica Really Meant to Say in Her Sermon…
When Jessica or Rick or a guest preacher takes the pulpit it’s hard for me to write a One More Thing Blog. I can’t share with you what didn’t make it into the sermon because I have no idea, not having written or delivered it.
Jesus Keeps On Ruining Funerals!
I didn’t have anything this last week that didn’t end up in the sermon. No catchy illustrations that didn’t make the cut. No theological insights that slowed down the main point. No one can ruin a funeral like Jesus. Told as I saw it and that was it. So I did some quick research and I thought I’d share just a reminder of what Easter is all about.