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
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)
Jesus Hears A Who
Few people know that Horton Hears A Who comes from the 25th Chapter of Matthew.
Matthew 24: One More Thing...
I sometimes stumble on old documents I’ve created but have completely forgotten about. I cannot remember why I created them or what purpose they were originally supposed to serve....
Keeping the Church Doors Unencumbered
Sunday, we considered Jesus’ disruptive actions in the Temple in light of his frustration with keeping gentiles from worshipping in their designated courtyard. We then reflected on how we still tend to throw up roadblocks to those who don’t normally attend church. I found the following, but didn’t have space for it in the sermon. It’s provocative and worth chewing on for a while.
What Was the Crowd Celebrating on Palm Sunday?
I came across this list which feels a little like a "Greatest Hits of Jesus' Ministry". I share it with you today for your inspiration and edification. Enjoy!
The Best Kind of Trouble-maker
While working on this last week’s sermon I was looking through Phillip Yancey’s excellent book—The Jesus I Never Knew—when I came across a section that I found profound. It didn’t quite fit my sermon, but it caught my eye enough that I copied it down.