The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made. Psalm 145:8-9

We have begun a new week, one filled with great possibilities.  Maybe you start out your week thinking it will be the same as last week, or you have a situation that has not been resolved.  Maybe your weekend was filled with less than blessed activities, or you had difficult issues with loved ones.  Fear not because God is the God of new beginnings.

The psalmist reminds us that God is forgiving and loving.  God is compassionate.  Start your week with God, turn yourself back towards the Lord.  Seek the Lord with your heart and mind, ask for compassion and believe that you will receive it.  Then go out and make it a great week.

Pastor Bill

As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Ps 41:1-2

Now that the Christmas lights are dark, the music no longer playing on the radio, the trees lining the streets for pick up and the assorted shepherds, wise men, animals and the Holy Family are packed away, it is easy to get into a funk.

The Christmas season is certainly exciting, but in the end it’s not about the excitement, it is about the incarnation, God coming to us as one of us. 

Do you thirst for God as that deer longs for the flowing streams? 

As you journey through this new year, seek God, thirst for God, take time to truly embrace that relationship and grow with God.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

May your Christmas celebration be filled with hope, peace, love and joy.

Pastor Bill

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. Luke 1:46-50

As you went to bed with flooding rains, and woke up to a steady drizzle, wet roads, flooded fields and a miserable sky this morning, did you think about what God has done for you?

We are one week away from the celebration of the birth of the Savior, and I am sure there is a lot of work to do.

But in the midst of your hustle and bustle this week preparing for the celebration, take a moment, reflect on all the blessings of your lives and allow your soul to glorify God.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

Restore us again, God our Savior, and put away your displeasure toward us.
Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger through all generations?
Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your unfailing love, Lord, and grant us your salvation.

Psalm 85:4-7

Do you need a fresh start this morning?  Do you need to repair a relationship?  Do you need to make a change? 

There is good news for you.  We do not have to wait for a special day, or a special ritual, rather we can just turn to God and start over. 

God’s unfailing love is there for you.  No matter what. 

Maybe you just need a little boost this morning, or you have serious situation that needs to be changed.  It does not matter; God is waiting for you.

May you find hope and peace in this upcoming week.

Pastor Bill

Yet you, Lord, are our Father.
    We are the clay, you are the potter;
    we are all the work of your hand.  Isaiah 64:8

The season of Advent is upon us.  Advent is a time of patient waiting, a time to remember the hope, peace, joy and love God brings us.  It is also a time to remember who God is, what God has done for us, and who God calls us to be.

Isaiah’s words are a great reminder that God is the potter, molding and shaping us, and when we allow this to happen, God will do wonderful things with us.

We just have to allow God to be the potter.

As you begin your Advent journey, be pliable, be willing to allow God to transform you.  Start by taking some quiet time each day with God, time to give up the busy-ness of the season and just be in God’s presence.

May you find hope, peace, love and joy this Advent season,

Pastor Bill

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving  and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100

Thanksgiving has come and gone, Advent is before us and the world is in Christmas mode.

Yet we need to remember to be thankful for all our blessings every day.  While this time of year is filled with wonderful things, we cannot get so wrapped up in the secular celebrations that we forget who made us and to whom we belong. 

During this busy season, pause and reflect on your blessing.  If you do not routinely go to worship, do so.  Go for a walk away from the lights and decorations.  Spend some extra time with God and experience the joy.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 107:1

As we enter into the beginning of the holiday season, we pause to give thanks.  Thanksgiving is more than a special meal, it’s more than a parade, it’s more than a football game.  It is a day we set aside for a specific purpose; to give all thanks and praise to God for all we have.

Actually, every day is thanksgiving – every day is an opportunity to pause and give thanks because we are blessed beyond belief for God is good and his love endures forever.

So, as you sit around the table on Thursday, give thanks.  And do so Friday (and Saturday, and Sunday…) for God is good and God has blessed you.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14

Sunday evening, I had the privilege of discussing faith issues with some younger people.  They were going through a program and the final step was a pastoral interview.  My style is to converse rather than barrage them with questions.

The beautiful part of this was their honesty – hearing their stories reminded myself that we need to listen to our youth more often.

Sometimes we are so set in our ways that a fresh perspective is rejected.  However Jesus reminds us to not hinder the children’s faith growth.

As you travel through your week, seek the input of someone younger (and it doesn’t have to be a child), ask about different ways to do things, find someone younger and get their thoughts without judgement.  Remember what the scriptures also say “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them (Isaiah 11:6).”

Give ear to my words, O LORD; give heed to my sighing. Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray. O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch. Psalm 5:1-3

The Psalmist sums up how many feel on Monday morning (as well as other mornings!).  Often just getting everyone up, fed and out the door can be a struggle, especially this time of year.  There are so many things going on in our work places and schools, the holiday season is upon us and sometimes it seems like we are all on a runaway train – unable to control the speed of things, unable to change directions, only waiting for the crash.

If this is you this morning, you are not alone.  Prayers are ascending for you as I write this.  Find a moment to get away from the rush, from the hustle and bustle; find a moment to reflect on the blessings of your life and remember this.  The Psalmist, while in these situations, never remains there, for he remembers who is on his side. 

But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, so that those who love your name may exult in you. For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover them with favor as with a shield. Psalm 5:11-12