Day of Praise



Good morning! With all that's going on, it totally escaped me that yesterday was St. Patrick's Day. As God grants it, each day, this life of faith goes on. And there are responsibilities to tend to. But life in every season and situation is so much better when we notice, acknowledge, and remember the God and the people, who surround us like a cloud, even as we with love surround them too.

Wed, 03/18/20, For St. Patrick's Day, "Day of Praise"

Hebrews 12:1 - "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."

Hunh! "So great a cloud." In today's tech world, the great cloud is where all your data gets stored safely.

But for those who hunger for peace and heaven and enduring life, the greatest cloud always was, is, and will be where people are witnessing to the greatness of God, which is perfectly revealed in Jesus Christ.

That's what St. Patrick did, always yearning to be an overflowing vessel to others by keeping his eyes on Jesus Christ as testified in his breastplate prayer, which has always meant so much to me and is as follows: Christ be with me, Christ within me. Christ behind me, Christ before me. Christ beside me, Christ to win me. Christ to comfort me and restore me. Christ beneath me, Christ above me. Christ in quiet, Christ in danger. Christ in hearts of all that love me. Christ in mouth of friend or stranger.

Wow! Eyes on Jesus; eyes that then focus on spreading the love to others! 

Each day, it is so easy for us to get caught up in the stuff that concerns us and needs to get done. And don't get me wrong, it is important for us to tend to our daily responsibilities, just like the man and woman had to tend to the garden way back before sin entered the world in order that the garden would bear fruit. However, if you remember, it was when the desire to be surrounded by a cloud of stuff became greater than the desire to be surrounded by a cloud of witnesses that things went wrong for the first man and woman.

Our dear friend, Tracy Hipps, Executive Director of Birmingham's Christian Service Mission, sent out an encouragement today for a couple important ways for us to get caught up in loving people more than stuff—

Tracy asked, "How we should serve during these days and weeks?"

And he offers these 2 priority suggestions: 

A) Care for Seniors:

1. Call your seniors around your home and neighborhood. Call your seniors at your church. Give them kind words and time to talk. Pray with them on the phone. 

2. Ask them what they need that you could go pick up for them or do for them. Be their CARE Driver for those essentials that they need.

3. Pick up a prescription for them as long as they let their provider know you are coming. Figure it out for your situation. 

4.  Make meals for them, and take it to them, and leave it on the porch. Tell them it is coming. Ask them what meal makes them happy.

5. Reach out to everyone you can that is a senior to bless them and share the love of the Lord with them. 

B) Care for the POOR and underserved  in our congregation and communities:

1. They will be hurting soon, so when you go to the grocery store, buy something for them and for their kids. 

2. We middle class and upper class for the most part will get paid. Think of ways to help your neighbor in need. Pray for guidance to better serve your neighbors in need. Don't wait till it is too late.  

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Serving one another in the strength of Christ's presence and the lead of Holy Spirit is a glory to Father God and a foretaste of Heaven where the One Living God has a room and place at the never-ending Feast prepared for all who trust, love and serve him, even as God in Christ faithfully serves us each day unto everlasting life!

So each day life goes on as God graciously grants it. And there are responsibilities to tend to. But life is so much better when we notice, acknowledge, and remember the Triune God and the people, who surround us like a cloud, even as we with Christ's love surround them too.

Thank you all! I sincerely praise God for you!

Praise God!

Pastor Chris 
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson