40 Days of Love 303 Days till Christmas

Yesterday was a great chance for the people of God to get together and feel the love, share the love, and get serving with love. I got a call this morning from a friend who is experiencing a loss in her life and she said that the love she has received from folks around here has been powerful and moving. In other words - people are listening and taking action.

Love endures, just like faith and hope...but as 1 Corinthians 13 says "the greatest is love." How about a focus each day this week where you give a little love away? Don't just consider random acts of kindness that are being polite but acts of love and generosity (especially to folks you may not know or may not expect it). Keep your eyes open. I believe that God wants to direct you to these acts of love, I believe that God will actually provide them for you, and I believe that they are prepared for you already. If you hear of an act of generosity or love that you want to share with me - do it and I will include it in my blog.

We are here for a reason - and that reason is to love.

Get Ready for Peace and Good Will

Good News? Did you know that there is a website dedicated to this very effort? Here it is: http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/ but no matter how much good news you read or hear any earthly news will not satisfy you deep down in your soul. The announcement about Christ’s birth was to be an announcement of peace and good will toward all people. Yet, that is not a shared vision by all of humanity. Some people want to intentionally bring chaos and misery. People are dying of cholera, starvation, and other diseases in Zimbabwe, Africa and the world puts this on page three because it is an internal political issue.
Read over what Jesus spoke about to his followers in Matthew 6:25-34. That will be the main text for the message this week. Read what Paul wrote in Philippians 4:6-9 years later after his life was completely turned around by Jesus. There is plenty to worry about in the world but Jesus addresses this by saying that we should not be worried. When we begin to lose ourselves in serving others we worry less. It seems like just the opposite. If you don’t worry about yourself, who will? God cares and that is literally all that matters.
The kind of peace that Jesus offers is a peace of mind that the world can never give us. The good will that Jesus shares is the good will that is generated by all the followers of Jesus living out their faith in life of service.
I was so pleased to see the response to the Clothesline ministry this past week. Today someone brought in a whole pile of NEW coats. Others are planning on caroling to shut-ins and nursing homes next Sunday night at 4:00PM. Still others are acting on their own doing all kinds of charitable acts of kindness, good will, and love. That is what makes Christmas – Christ’s Mass (the worship of Christ in our very lives.)