Hi Church!

We have been studying Ephesians Chapter 2, with the themes of grace, self-worth, and unity.  Last Sunday we learned we are God’s handiwork - flaws and all!  We all have tendencies towards sin, but we also have a choice to act on those tendencies or not.  As we come to know Jesus better, it becomes easier to resist those temptations.  And as a reflection of that love we have for Jesus, we do “good works,” which includes loving others and serving others. 

This coming Sunday we will conclude this study with a message on unity.  I cannot think of a subject more needed than this. 

As we move towards the home stretch of 2025, we will begin to talk about the Advent Season.  Stay tuned for sign ups to purchase poinsettias, decorate the church, and helping out on Christmas Eve. 

Devotion for this week:

With the season changing, we will begin to see the leaves change colors and cover the ground.  We will see the temperature drop.  We will see the daylight get shorter.  There will be pumpkin everything! 

The fall season is actually a melancholy one for me though.  It was my dad’s favorite season, who passed away in 2006.  I miss the days of walking with him in the neighborhood, talking about the leaves changing.  Growing up he was the one that walked me and my sister around to trick or treat.  The fall season always makes me think of him. 

But this season is also one that makes me miss my best friend Carol.  She also has passed away after a bout with cancer in 2012.  We were both single parents and our kids were about the same age.  We did so many things with our kids in the fall - we went to pumpkin farms, corn mazes, and of course went trick or treating together.  The fall season always makes me think of her. 

The death of these two people were life changing experiences for me, but in much different ways - and yet both very connected.  The death of my dad led me to take a look at my life and how I was living.  I wasn’t doing anything “bad,” but I was not putting God first.  I began going to a new church and found a new love for the Lord - one much deeper and permanent - and all consuming.  My love for Jesus was not just a Sunday thing - but a daily, hourly, minute by minute thing.  And that love continued to grow.  Until one day my friend found out she had terminal cancer.  In the months between the diagnosis and her passing, she encouraged me to go to seminary and become a pastor.  The interesting part of all that was that she was not a believer - at first.  During those months we talked about the Lord, and she began to learn who Jesus was, and eventually accepted Him into her heart.  And that is when she said I needed to make that my life’s work.  And so I did.  Three days before she passed, I was accepted into seminary. 

The life lessons in all this continue to pop up in the fall season.  I remember my life before giving it all to Jesus, and how much I can now handle the tough times knowing He is by my side.  I remember learning how to share the Gospel with others, something that felt so intimidating before, but now is so easy.  I remember how deep the grief was in losing my loved ones, and yet I learned the joy of knowing they are with Jesus. 

The changing of the seasons is always a good time to start something new, as the season is new.  Take some time to look at what the Lord has done in your life - take a look at what He still wants you to do - take time to see who in your life needs to know that love of Jesus.  We never stop learning, we never stop growing, and we never stop needing Him. 

Blessings,

Pastor Marcy