Gail and I want to personally express our thanks to you and also wish you a blessed Thanksgiving.
It’s your leadership that’s helping reach people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Our missional community met on Sunday night. It’s fairly new. Just getting started. We had some new people we had invited. It was a casual, get acquainted evening.
- We ate a potluck dinner together.
- We shared “What’s something you’re grateful for this year?”
- We read a Psalm.
- We invited a few to pray, giving thanks for provision and protection and strength for the problems before us.
- We sprinkled the evening with laughter and story.
- We made plans to serve in a homeless shelter next month.
- And… we invited our guests to join us next time we meet.
Two quick thoughts…
- It’s something most anyone could do. Right? Nothing too complex.
- “What are you grateful for?” We heard stories that included weddings and happiness and divorce and great challenge and deep faith.
And a final thought…
I’ve always marveled at the healing of the leper in Luke 5:12ff
- The man was covered with leprosy. (Certainly stay away!)
- “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” (Face down…begging!)
- Jesus reached out… touched him. (Didn’t shout from far away…touched him.)
- “I am willing!” “Be clean!” (The authoritative voice of Jesus)
- Immediately the leprosy left him.
I’m mindful of the gift of health gifted to our fragile bodies. Provisions of daily bread. Protection from the Evil One. And, I’m mindful of a God who sent His Son close…He didn’t shout. To touch us with grace and forgiveness captured at a cross…while He was covered with the sins of a lost world.
For you and all of this?… I’m thankful.
Rev. Dr. Jock Ficken
Please make a gift on #GivingTuesday to extend the “leadership training” blessing to the women and men who join us a foreign missionaries to the United States.
