“Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs. And be careful that when you get on each other’s nerves you don’t snap at each other. Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out.” 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15
Second Sunday after the Epiphany
Because of the awful weather predicted for Sunday morning we will only be on Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gscccp
“Jesus went on to make these comments: If you’re honest in small things, you’ll be honest in big things; If you’re a crook in small things, you’ll be a crook in big things. If you’re not honest in small jobs, who will put you in charge of the store? No worker can serve two bosses: they will either hate the first and love the second
or adore the first and despise the second. You can’t serve both God and the Bank.” Luke 16:10-13
“Attention, all! See the marvels of God He plants flowers and trees all over the earth, bans war from pole to pole, breaks all the weapons across his knee. “Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything.” Psalm 46:8-10
A MESSAGE FOR THE NEW YEAR
This past Sunday Vicar Alyce gave us 7 steps that if we stay focused on them can change our lives and provide for a year filled with blessings and great joy. Here they are:
From Colossians 3:12-14
So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
I wish to show/incorporate these into my daily life as I deal with people:
1) Compassion (empathy) the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another
2) Kindness (direct action) the quality or state of being kind
Kind – (adjective) having or showing a gentle nature and a desire to help others: wanting and liking to do good things and to bring happiness to others
3) Humility (it is not about you) the quality or state of not thinking you are better than other people
Humble – not proud: not thinking of yourself as better than other people
: given or said in a way that shows you do not think you are better than other people
: showing that you do not think of yourself as better than other people
4) Gentleness/meekness/quiet strength – the quality or state of being gentle
Gentle – having or showing a kind and quiet nature : not harsh or violent
: not hard or forceful
: not strong or harsh in effect or quality
5) Patience/bear with one another – the capacity, habit, or fact of being patient
Patient: able to remain calm and not become annoyed when waiting for a long time or when dealing with problems or difficult people
: done in a careful way over a long period of time without hurrying
6) Forgiveness (yes it means letting go) – the act of forgiving someone or something
Forgive – to stop feeling anger toward (someone who has done something wrong): to stop blaming (someone)
: to stop feeling anger about (something): to forgive someone for (something wrong)
: to stop requiring payment of (money that is owed)
7) Love (Agape-unconditional) – a feeling of strong or constant affection for a person
Don’t let this rattle you. You trust God, don’t you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Creator’s home. If that weren’t so, would I have told you that I’m on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I’m on my way to get your room ready, I’ll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already know the road I’m taking.” John 14:1-4
“None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.” Romans 8:39
“Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’ Matthew 25:37-40
“Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.” James 3:17-18 (MSG)