The Author

One of my favourite authors is Henri Nouwen.  Some years back a friend had completed writing a book and was having a book launch.  Lorne and I were absolutely thrilled to be invited as  Henri Nouwen was the speaker. Then as the icing on the cake, after the event we had the privilege of going out for coffee with him and  a half dozen other people.  The next day when I picked up one of Nouwen’s books I read with a whole new perspective.  The words sprang to life because of a personal connect with the author.

This week, during a conversation about the Bible someone said,  “Isn’t it great that we have the author of Scripture with us when we read?”  What an incredible thought. Not only do we know the author...He is with us to give insight and meaning each time we go to the Word. He breathes life into the text and shows us its’ application in our lives. What a gift! Our part is to be intentionally listening to His voice. 

As you go to the Word stop and thank God that He, the Author, is with you.  As you begin, breathe a prayer...”Spirit what do you want me to hear today; please give me understanding as I read”.

I hope you can join us this weekend. We are asking the Spirit to teach us through the incredible story of Daniel.

God bless your summer friends!
Rita

“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives..”  Col 1:9

Feel The Freedom!

As we continue preparing for our 50th Anniversary Celebration this fall, I’ve been going over the stories, reflections and praise that our church has submitted via email, story cards and videos. It is such an honour to hear each of them. God is so good. 

There are so many thoughts and stories that I could share with you (and I will at the 50th!), but today I would just like to share one that was submitted via story card in the service a few weeks back.  I needed this reminder and maybe you do today as well: 

“…I spent a lot of years trying to control my life on my own. What a joy and pleasure to give the control to someone who is infinitely wiser than me.”

Don’t we all try to control our lives in little ways each day? We carry the burdens of worry and fear around with us, but we don’t have to…as this person said, what a joy to give these over to Jesus, who wants to carry these for us and direct our steps. 

“Casting all your care on Him because He cares for you.” I Peter 5:7

Unburden yourselves, friends, and feel the freedom that Jesus offers!

Joy!
Rita

Creation Around and Within

It’s that time of year again where we get to experience a slower pace of life and settle into vacation mode. I am so thankful for this time of year.

Our summer consists of camping trips that allow me to absorb my surroundings and appreciate God’s beautiful creation. As I sit by the lake and watch a beautiful sunset with my husband or watch our kids ride an endless amount of loops on their bikes in the campground, I am in awe of His creation. I’m a graphic design artist at SPAC and my role is to “create.” I was recently reminded that my biggest inspiration comes from Him and that Christ is Supreme over all creation.

"The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." Col. 1:15-17

As I sat by the campfire last week, I realized how incredibly privileged I am to be part of a project this summer to further God’s Kingdom. And I have personally watched the transformation of my own family in support of the Clean Water Project. My kids are enthusiastic about running their lemonade stand and gathering their earnings to help; my husband is making an extra effort to sort pop bottles instead of throwing them into the recycle bin for pick up.

It's humbling to be part of what God's doing in Mufumya. It's so cool that He's got a role for each of us to play as we work together to see "His Kingdom come."

God Bless.
Cheryl Purschke

Deep calls unto deep

A couple of days ago my wife and I were in the car together with a 15 minute trip ahead of us. Rather than fill the time with the typical small talk, I asked her something I don’t ask her often enough. “How are you experiencing God these days?”

For the rest of our small commute, she shared what she has been reflecting on in scripture, what she’s been praying about, and the struggles and successes she has had with internalizing God’s promises. It was meaningful to hear my wife share at a deeper level and experience her journey with God.

She taught me a couple of things, and her sharing caused me to reflect deeper on the ways I’m experiencing and hearing from God lately. Psalm 42:7 says "Deep calls unto deep." From the depths of our journey and our willingness to share, we provoke a response from the depths of those to whom we open ourselves up. I believe this is the kind of relationship God created us to have with Him and each other.

The obvious application is to challenge you to go a little deeper in a relationship that you know is stuck at a shallow and comfortable layer. Take a risk and find a conversation in the next couple of days that you can ask, or share, how you have been experiencing God these days.

- Pastor Kevin