The UMW will meet July 12th at 10:00 am in the UMW Room. Peggy will have the program and we will go to RJ’s for lunch. We hope you can attend this meeting. We won’t meet in August but will have our annual meeting at Foster Falls in September (13th).
What is God’s Storehouse?
It is a community soup kitchen located on the bottom floor of Rooftop. Started in 2012, the soup kitchen is now operated by The Hope Ladies, a Christian women’s group. The directors of God’s Storehouse are a mother/daughter duo named Delina Parks and Kisha Johnson. God’s Storehouse feeds over 600 people a week and they currently deliver 30 meals per day to elderly, sick and shut-in persons. They are a non-profit organization so every penny given goes back into the ministry. Everyone who works at God’s Storehouse is a volunteer. They receive no government funding and operate solely on donations. God’s Storehouse is open for dinner Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 4pm-6pm. They are hosting a summer children’s program called Downtown J.A.M. (Jesus And Me) on Wednesdays from 4:00-5:30 where they will be fed dinner and participate in an interactive devotional.
“Now the Lord said to Abram. ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation and I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing.” [Genesis 12:1-2 N.R.S.V.]
The Holston Annual Conference met this year under the one word theme of Bless. Usually when we think of this word we think of the adjective form which is blessed. As when someone asks how we are and we reply: “I’m blessed.” Or we say we are having a blessed day. This year’s theme however is the verb form; to give a blessing to others.
Abram in the scripture quoted above has often been referred to as being blessed to be a blessing. Sadly, it seems that scripture tells us that his descendants forgot the second part of that statement and simply claimed God’s blessing for themselves and failed to bless others.
The emphasis this conference year is for all followers of Jesus Christ not to make that same mistake. I challenge each and every one to prayerfully consider how you can be used by God to bless someone else. Maybe it is by volunteering your time to help some service ministry. Kids Junction can certainly use help. Maybe it is by visiting our shut-ins and Nursing Home residents. Maybe it is by cooking a meal for those who need it. Maybe it is baking a loaf of bread to welcome new people when they move into your neighborhood. Maybe it is by serving your church in more or different ways.
And if you absolutely, positively cannot do anything else, you can pray. Develop a prayer list and pray each day for those on your list. Let them know you are praying for them. Not only will you bless them, you just might be blessed as well.
Richard
Classes are June 13 – 17 (Monday – Friday), 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM, for preschool – 6th grade.
CRAFTS – SNACKS – OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
“The Lord is my Shepherd – Now and Forever”
EVERYONE WELCOME ~ COME JOIN THE FUN!
“Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you, he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” [Psalm 55:22 N.R.S.V.]
Maybe the one thing that can be said for our society is that people have more stress, problems, cares and burdens than ever before. Anxiety and depression, often stress related, remain at the top of the medical problems today. Many people are caring for elderly parents as well as children and/or grandchildren at the same time. Often it seems that life itself is one great burden. It takes all of our energy and strength simply to get by.
Many are facing financial futures which do not seem as secure and promising as they once did. Many people in my age group have a real concern about outliving our money.
Violence and drugs are a real threat to our youth. They are faced with issues and choices their parents never had to deal with. Peer pressure is very strong. Many young people are driven to succeed in school, in athletics, and just in life in general to the point that all joy is gone and life is just one big hassle.
The Bible, however, offers us a world of Hope. When things get more than we can handle by ourselves, God is there! The Psalmists encourages us to “cast your burdens on the Lord.” Jesus reminds us to take his yoke upon us for he says: “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” [Matthew 11:20 N.R.S.V.] That verse is becoming one of my favorite verses simply because it reminds me that while there is no promise that we will not have burdens, or a yoke to bear, we do not have to do it alone. Jesus is there in harness with us. God will carry our burden, if only we will allow God to do that.
Yet how hard that is for us to do! It seems that we try any and everything else before we turn to God. I know that often I lay my problems on the altar when I kneel to pray, only to pick them right back up when I get to my feet. I should not do that! Let us covenant together to trust God more. I know I need to and I suspect that you do as well.
If together we trust God with our burdens and cares, and allow God to work in God’s time not our time, maybe the stress, cares, problems and burdens of modern life will not seem so overwhelming. I think it is definitely worth a try!
Richard
