07/12/2019
I may have shared this before but when one of my daughters was young and we visited my Grandma Napier, she must have shared that she was worried about something. Driving in the car on the way home, we saw my daughter in the back seat repeatedly moving her arm as if throwing something behind her. I asked why and she informed me that Grandma had told her to take her worries and just throw them away. She did not need to carry them around.
I think there is some wisdom in that interaction. I was reminded in a devotion I read this week that we can direct conscious thoughts. We can reject negative or sinful thoughts. When we do this we can then stop those thoughts from controlling our minds and will be able to find ourselves instead truly aware of the presence of God. I agree with this as I sometimes say to folks that it is truly a mind game...telling our mind that we are not going to go there. Instead we choose to turn our mind to God.
We have launched a summer sermon series surrounding the story of Joseph in the Book of Genesis. This upcoming Sunday I will be sharing about his time in jail and his unjust imprisonment. We know that his heart was right with God. Joseph knew God in his heart but he would need to know God in his mind. He would have to choose what he thought about God in his life and in those circumstances.
I think that we often talk about the transformation of our hearts and giving our hearts to God. However, I am NOT certain we talk as much about the transformation of our minds and giving our minds to God. I know that God desires this of us.
“To shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace” Luke 1:79
Rev. Patti Napier
Archived Posts
Such A Rich Passage (Luke 19:1-10)
I reflected a lot on the passage about Zacchaeus because it has been written off as “been there, read that, little guy in a tree.” But it is so rich in getting to the heart of what it means to be saved by grace through faith—to live our lives out of gratitude rather than obligation.
The Power of Presence
This last Sunday I had so much more to share than time to share it. The last Emotional Management Technique was to stay present in the process. Just as Jesus stayed with the woman who was judged and found guilty by the angry crowd, we stay by our children and our friends, especially when they need us the most. Here a couple of examples...
What’s In A Benediction?
Last Sunday I used one of my favorite benedictions.
It was inspired by a saying from about ten years ago:
A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
There are several powerful and evocative artworks that depict the scene from Mark 9:14–29, where Jesus heals a boy possessed by an unclean spirit... Some of the following have internet links, the others are worth googling. Enjoy!
The Gift of Ourselves As A Gift of Love
The more the giving of myself costs me something, the greater the power of the gift. You know I love quotes, so after a little research, let me share a few of my favorites on this very subject:
The Loss of a Great Christian Leader
The death today of Pope Francis was particularly poignant, falling as it did on the day after Easter. As Protestant Christians we have a once removed interest in the leader of the Roman Catholic church. Yet the pope is the authoritative leader of 1.4 billion women and men around the world. It is worth our time to pause and consider what kind of man and what kind of legacy Pope Francis left behind.
Everything You Wanted To Know About Judas Iscariot
(Drawn from online sources)