Greetings from Austin St.

Blessed Sunday to you all! What an awesome day! Again, worship was so uplifting this morning. Our music director’s baby shower was so much fun Addie and Jeremy received a great many wonderful items for their baby. This precious baby is due in less than a month.

Prayer: “Heavenly Father, today let me worship you in truth and with all of my heart. As I greet people today let me see them through your eyes and treat them as friends with the heart of Jesus.”

In worship today Pastor Joel preached on the passage from the Sermon on the Mount concerning loving our neighbors and our enemies. The world tells us to love our neighbors, friends and family and to hate our enemies and be wary of strangers.

One of our local ELCA churches is withdrawing from the synod. I had noticed that we had been having more visitors in worship for the past few weeks. I also noticed that our congregation was making it a point to greet these new friends so warmly, telling them how glad we were they were visiting, sharing some of the activities we had to offer and inviting them to return again very soon. I remember when we first visited Advent in 2003, we were greeted with the same warmth and welcoming spirit. It was the reason we became members of Advent. I am so proud to be a member of a congregation that welcomes strangers not just into worship and into the life of the church, but into the fellowship of God and His children.

God has called to each of us into a life of worship, service, fellowship and prayer with each other and with Him, and has called us to invite others to do the same. As children of God, the body of Christ, we are called to be Sanctuaries. As a sanctuary we carry the life of Christ with us as a living sanctuary where worship, service, fellowship and prayer are way we live our lives. We become places of holiness. When we become living sanctuaries then God flows through us and others see Jesus in us.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes. Count your blessings and say your prayers. Let us continue to pray for each other daily remembering that each of us is battling something each day. Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.

Please remember to pray for every educator in our state including those in college who are studying to be educators and who will be looking for jobs soon. Also pray for those who make the laws and policies (they need our prayers too). gc