08/12/2019
A few weeks ago, I shared something in my message that I read byJohn Piper, a well known preacher. He says that every day God is doing perhaps 10,000 different things in our lives but you will only be dimly aware of perhaps three of those things. The number is arbitrary but the point is absolutely right. We barely get a glimmer of all that God is doing in us, through us and for us. It made me think of a painting by Michelangelo. I share this with you assuming as with any piece of art--you may find the beauty in this or you may think it's odd. Either way, just pause before it and really think about it.
I happen to find this to be a fascinating reminder of how God’s presence is with me and around me every single moment no matter where I am. I am never lost to God. I am never away from God. When I feel this way, I need to put on my spiritual lens to see my life more closely. God is in my life in ways that I don’t see. There are glimpses of God all around me. When I think about this, I am almost afraid of all the moments that I have missed seeing God around me and seeing God working through me.
Next stop...an appointment to have my spiritual glasses adjusted!
Blessings, Patti
Archived Posts
Gandhi and the Sugar
I wasn’t preaching Sunday, Reverend Jackie Chandler was. And she talked about the power of influence you get when you practice what you preach. This famous illustration came to mind. It fits Jackie’s points quite well. Enjoy!
Not Just for Parents
Our current sermon series is about How To Talk Parent, but it doesn’t require any of us to be parents to appreciate the bits of wisdom OUR parents shared with us growing up.
If Not Higher
Here’s a story I wanted to use when talking about ‘what you do when no one is looking’ yesterday. It’s a wonderful illustration of what Jesus was saying in Matthew 6:1-6—do what you do because of who you want to be, not so that others will take notice and praise you.
The Perfect Church
There is an old joke about the perfect church. We talked just a little about the perfect pastor, but turnabout is fair play. It goes like this:
The Clothes You Wear
Sunday I talked about Joshua the High Priest having his filthy clothing replaced by a cleaned and beautiful garments. I also used the illustration of a boy becomes a dragon—who ‘wears’ dragon scales—and is stripped of those scales in order to be restored to a boy. In fact, I could have done the whole sermon around all the clothing imagery in scripture.
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...