Today’s reading is from Romans,
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Please pray with me,
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable and suitable in your sight O God, our rock, our strength and our redeemer. Amen.
True confessions: This message is slightly adapted from a sermon I gave a while back.
Truer confessions: I think it still speaks to us in a new way. You’ll notice some differences, even if you heard the original. 😊
Also, special thanks to Chris Pratt.
Okay, so sometime last year, Chris Pratt was awarded the MTV Our Generational Award. In his acceptance speech he talked about the 9 Rules from Chris Pratt. I was inspired by his 9 rules and when I was chaplain at Bear Creek Camp last summer I attempted to come up with P-Jen’s top 10. Well, I could only come up with 9 things, but just as they were important then, they are even more important now.
So, without further ado, PJ’s top 9.
Number 1 – Breathe. Okay, I stole that directly from Chris Pratt. But seriously. If you do anything today, breathe. You need to. Your live depends upon it. Just breathe. It will help you through the rest of the day.
Number 2 – Stay Connected. Especially now. How are you reaching out to others who may be home alone? Phone calls? Text messages? One of Trinity’s youth, Emma, reached out to me this week to say they were making postcards, did I know of some folks who would could receive them. What a clever way to stay connected, right?
Number 3 – Serve others. Even in times of remaining home, we are still able to serve others. Check in on neighbors, offer to drop off a porch meal, offer to do a trip to the grocery store, make a donation to a church or charity that is currently serving its community. Work through the hands and feet already in place to reach out to those in need at this time.
Number 4 – You’re not perfect. You’re not. Accept that and continue to be the amazing person that God created you and calls you to be right now.
Because Number 5- You are made in God’s image. You are beautiful, holy, strong, wise, creative, brave and needed in our world right now, just as you are.
Number 6 – Become friends with someone different than you. I know, now is not the time to go out and shake hands and spend close time with a new group of people, but now is a good time to scope out your social media feed. Are you following people who look just like you, agree with everything you say and offer no diversity? Friends, the Body of Christ is diverse and beautiful. Look at the people that you follow on social media and be sure that they feed your soul, inspire you and encourage you to see beyond your own view.
Number 7 – Love God, Love All. Keep on living out of God’s love in whatever way that takes shape in your daily life. How does this current life situation help you to mend and strengthen relationships in love?
Number 8 – Be kind. I know, that seems like a given, but it needs to be said. The snarky comments on social media, the posts shared that put down others, not needed friends. That is not building up the Body of Christ. Be kind to those in your home, to those you follow on social media and to those who follow you on social media.
Number 9 – God loves you, no matter what! It needs to be said, over and over again, that no matter who you are and what you have done or haven’t done, God loves you, no matter what, so deal with it!
And number 10 – (I just realized I have one more to add.) I know that this is a great way for us to stay connected. I love seeing comments and seeing the ways these feeds are connecting us. But, also, and I may be talking more to myself than anyone else, unplug. Power down your devices every day….so you are not even tempted to look at it. Then go and do something else. Read a book. Walk outside. Try a new recipe. Prayer. De-clutter a nook in the house. Write a note to someone. Play with your dog. Watch your cat sleep. It doesn’t matter what it is, but do it unplugged! I recommend that if you are in a house with more than one person that you all unplug at the same time. Maybe it’s dinnertime, maybe it’s mid afternoon after school and work is done. Make the time. Unplug.
And now may the peace which passes all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus and let all God’s people say, amen.
And now for a few announcements.
A reminder to call the church office if you are able to help others at this time. We are creating a good list of folks and are thankful for their time.
Hershey Park Tickets orders are due to the church office by March 23.
Sermon and prayers will be live on Trinity’s Instagram feed on Saturday at 5pm.
We will be live on Sunday morning at 9am including prayers, a hymn, scripture, a sermon and a visit from Holy Cow.
And now receive God’s blessing,
May the Lord bless you and keep you,
May the Lord’s face shine upon you with grace and mercy,
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment